What is wilkinsons catalyst?

Wilkinson's catalyst is a well-known organometallic compound that is widely used in organic chemistry as a catalyst for hydrogenation reactions. It is a coordination complex consisting of a ruthenium metal center coordinated to a diisopropylbenzene ligand, a phosphine ligand, and a chloride ion. The phosphine ligand is usually triphenylphosphine. The catalyst is named after its discoverer, the British chemist, Geoffrey Wilkinson, who won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on organometallic compounds in 1973. Wilkinson's catalyst is an important reagent in organic chemistry, particularly in the production of pharmaceutically active compounds and fine chemicals. It is widely used in the synthesis of chiral molecules and has been used in the production of drugs like Azithromycin, a commonly used antibiotic.