Spectroscopic determination of hydrogenation rates and intermediates during carbonyl hydrogenation catalyzed by Shvo's hydroxycyclopentadienyl diruthenium hydride agrees with kinetic modeling based on independently measured rates of elementary reactions.

The catalytic hydrogenation of benzaldehyde and acetophenone with the Shvo hydrogenation catalysts were monitored by in situ IR spectroscopy in both toluene and THF. The disappearance of organic carbonyl compound and the concentrations of the ruthenium species present throughout the hydrogenation reaction were observed. The dependence of the hydrogenation rate on substrate, H2 pressure, total ruthenium concentration, and solvent were measured. In toluene, bridging diruthenium hydride 1 was the only observable ruthenium species until nearly all of the substrate was consumed. In THF, both 1 and some monoruthenium hydride 2 were observed during the course of the hydrogenation. A full kinetic model of the hydrogenation based on rate constants for individual steps in the catalysis was developed. This kinetic model simulates the rate of carbonyl compound hydrogenation and of the amounts of ruthenium species 1 and 2 present during hydrogenations.