Abstract: The present invention relates to novel Ruthenium catalysts and related borohydride complexes, and the use of such catalysts, inter alia, for (1) hydrogenation of amides (including polyamides) to alcohols and amines; (2) preparing amides from alcohols with amines (including the preparation of polyamides (e.g., polypeptides) by reacting dialcohols and diamines and/or by polymerization of amino alcohols); (3) hydrogenation of esters to alcohols (including hydrogenation of cyclic esters (lactones) or cyclic di-esters (di-lactones) or polyesters); (4) hydrogenation of organic carbonates (including polycarbonates) to alcohols and hydrogenation of carbamates (including polycarbamates) or urea derivatives to alcohols and amines; (5) dehydrogenative coupling of alcohols to esters; (6) hydrogenation of secondary alcohols to ketones; (7) amidation of esters (i.e.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel Ruthenium catalysts and related borohydride complexes, and the use of such catalysts, inter alia, for (1) hydrogenation of amides (including polyamides) to alcohols and amines; (2) preparing amides from alcohols with amines (including the preparation of polyamides (e.g., polypeptides) by reacting dialcohols and diamines and/or by polymerization of amino alcohols); (3) hydrogenation of esters to alcohols (including hydrogenation of cyclic esters (lactones) or cyclic di-esters (di-lactones) or polyesters); (4) hydrogenation of organic carbonates (including polycarbonates) to alcohols and hydrogenation of carbamates (including polycarbamates) or urea derivatives to alcohols and amines; (5) dehydrogenative coupling of alcohols to esters; (6) hydrogenation of secondary alcohols to ketones; (7) amidation of esters (i.e.

Abstract: A process for preparing amides by reacting a primary amine and a primary alcohol in the presence of a Ruthenium complex to generate the amide and molecular hydrogen. Primary amines are directly acylated by equimolar amounts of alcohols to produce amides and molecular hydrogen (the only byproduct) in high yields and high turnover numbers. Also disclosed are processes for hydrogenation of amides to alcohols and amines; hydrogenation of organic carbonates to alcohols; hydrogenation of carbamates or urea derivatives to alcohols and amines; amidation of esters; acylation of alcohols using esters; coupling of alcohols with water and a base to form carboxylic acids; dehydrogenation of beta-amino alcohols to form pyrazines and cyclic dipeptides; and dehydrogenation of secondary alcohols to ketones. These reactions are catalyzed by a Ruthenium complex which is based on a dearomatized PNN-type ligand of formula A1 or precursors thereof of formulae A2 or A3.