LAUSR

New ruthenium (0) complexes with a cooperative diolefin diaminopropane (DAP) or the dehydrogenated iminopropenamide ligand (IPA) were synthesized for comparison with their diaminoethane (DAE)/ diazadiene (DAD) ruthenium analogues. These DAP/IPA complexes are efficient catalysts in dehydrogenation reactions of alkaline aqueous methanol which proceeds under mild conditions (T=70 °C) and of higher alcohols, forming the corresponding carbonate and carboxylates, respectively. The scope of the reaction includes an example of a 1,2‐diol as model for biomass derived alcohols. Their catalytic applications are extended to the atom‐efficient dehydrogenative coupling of alcohols and amines to amides. The reaction proceeds without any additives and is applicable to the synthesis of formamides from methanol. Moreover, DAP/IPA complexes catalyze the hydrogenation of a series of esters, lactone, ketone, activated olefin, aldehyde and imine substrates. The diaminopropane Ru catalyst exhibits higher activity compared to the dehydrogenated β‐ketiminate (IPA) and previously studied DAD/DAE based catalysts. We present studies on their stoichiometric reactivity with relevance to their possible catalytic mechanisms and the isolation and full characterization of key reaction intermediates.