Hydrogenation of substituted aromatic compounds over a ruthenium catalyst

Selected aromatic compounds were hydrogenated over a ruthenium catalyst to evaluate the effect of a substituting group on the reactivity of an aromatic ring or a carbonyl function. In case of the aromatic aldehydes preferential hydrogenation of a carbonyl group was observed. When carbonyl group was not present, reactivity of the aromatic ring depended on the type of substituent.