REVIEW article
Front. Chem.
Sec. Catalytic Reactions and Chemistry
Coordinating ability and versatility of organosulfur-based ligands in transition metal catalyzed hydrogenative and hydrogen auto-transfer processes
Andrei Paraschiv 1
Daria Brambilla 2
Cristina Prandi 1
Giancarlo Cravotto 1
Salvatore Baldino 1
Katia Martina 1
1. University of Turin, Turin, Italy
2. Cube Labs, Rome, Italy
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Abstract
Transition metal complexes with sulfur-donor ligands serve as efficient catalysts in numerous homogeneous reactions, owing to the coordination diversity of sulfur-based ligands and the possibility to obtain chiral and achiral complexes. Historically dominated by phosphorus and nitrogen, transition metal compounds with electron-rich sulfur-donor ligands have recently attracted research interest because of their close connection with enzymatic transformation. This review presents a comprehensive overview of recent applications of sulfur-ligated metal complexes in hydrogenative and strictly related hydrogen auto-transfer processes, namely hydrogenation, transfer hydrogenation and borrowing hydrogen reactions. Particular attention is given to the impact of ligand selection on the reaction outcomes, and on the influence of sulfur to give stability at the catalytically active metal complex. Additionally, the review compares conventional hydrogenation and transfer hydrogenation strategies with emerging approaches involving metal-ligand cooperation in the presence of sulfur-based ligands.
Summary
Keywords
Borrowing hydrogen, homogeneous catalysis, Hydrogenation, sulfur-based ligands, transfer hydrogenation
Received
14 November 2025
Accepted
29 December 2025
Copyright
© 2025 Paraschiv, Brambilla, Prandi, Cravotto, Baldino and Martina. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Salvatore Baldino; Katia Martina
Disclaimer
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