Facile synthesis of supported Ru–Triphos catalysts for continuous flow application in selective nitrile reduction

The selective catalytic hydrogenation of nitriles represents an important but challenging transformation for many homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts. Herein, we report the efficient and modular solid-phase synthesis of immobilized Triphos-type ligands in very high yields, involving only minimal work-up procedures. The corresponding supported ruthenium–Triphos catalysts are tested in the hydrogenation of various nitriles. Under mild conditions and without the requirement of additives, the tunable supported catalyst library provides selective access to both primary amines and secondary imines. Moreover, the first application of a Triphos-type catalyst in a continuous flow process is presented demonstrating high catalyst life-time over at least 195 hours without significant activity loss.