Reductive Amination of Levulinic Acid to Pyrrolidones: Key Step in Biomass Valorization towards Nitrogen-Containing Chemicals

Nowadays, the field of biomass conversion is gradually moving towards an encouraging stage. The preparation of nitrogen-containing chemicals using various biomass resources instead of fossil resources do not only reduce carbon emissions, but also diversify the products of biomass conversion, thus increasing the economic competitiveness of biomass refining systems. Levulinic acid (LA) can be used as a promising intermediate in biomass conversion for further synthesis of pyrrolidone via reductive amination. However, there are still many critical issues to be solved. Particularly, the specific effects of catalysts on the performance of LA reductive amination have not been sufficiently revealed, and the potential impacts of key conditional factors have not been clearly elucidated. In view of this, this review attempts to provide theoretical insights through an in-depth interpretation of the above key issues. The contribution of catalysts to the reductive amination of LA as well as the catalyst structural preferences for improving catalytic performance are discussed. In addition, the role of key conditional factors is discussed. The insights presented in this review will contribute to the design of catalyst nanostructures and the rational configuration of green reaction conditions, which may provide inspiration to facilitate the nitrogen-related transformation of more biomass platform molecules.

Metal-Free N-Doped Carbon Catalyst Derived from Chitosan for Aqueous Formic Acid-Mediated Selective Reductive Formylation of Quinoline and Nitroarenes

A chitosan-derived metal-free N-doped carbon catalyst was synthesized and investigated for selective reductive formylation of quinoline to N-formyl-tetrahydroquinoline and nitroarenes to N-formyl anilides via aqueous formic acid (FA)-mediated catalytic transformation. FA dissociated on the catalyst surface and acted as a hydrogenating and formylating source for selective N-formylation of N-heteroarenes. The carbonized catalyst prepared at 700 °C offered the best activity. A 92 % yield of N-formyl-tetrahydroquinoline after 14 h and >99 % yield for N-formyl anilide after 12 h at 160 °C were obtained. The excellent catalytic activity was correlated with the type of "N" species and the basicity of the catalyst. Density functional theory calculations revealed that a water-assisted FA decomposition pathway (deprotonation and dehydroxylation) generated the surface adsorbed -H and -HCOO species, required for the formation of N-formylated products. In addition, the selective formation of N-formyl-tetrahydroquinoline and N-formyl anilides was explained by a comprehensive reaction energetics analysis.

Facile Synthesis of Rh Anchored Uniform Spherical COF for One-Pot Tandem Reductive Amination of Aldehydes to Secondary Imines

The development of transition metal-based heterogeneous catalysts for economical and efficient synthesis of secondary imines remains both desirable and challenging. Herein, for the first time, we present two kinds of Rh nanoparticle anchored uniform spherical COF heterogeneous catalysts with well-defined crystalline structures for the effective one-pot tandem reductive amination of aldehydes on a gram scale. This reaction is carried out using ammonia as a nitrogen source and hydrogen gas as the source of hydrogen, which is not only an atom-economical but also an environmentally friendly process for the selective production of secondary imines. In particular, in the presence of the better-designed Rh nanoparticles anchored COF2 catalyst, the starting material aldehydes could be fully converted (99% conversion), and 95% selectivity of N-benzylidene(phenyl)methanamine is obtained under mild reaction conditions (2 MPa of H₂ and 90 °C). Additionally, the Rh/COF2 catalyst is also applied to a variety of substituted aromatic aldehyde compounds, manifesting good yields in corresponding secondary imines. This work not only expands the COF family but also offers economical and effective access to acquire various aromatic amine targets, especially secondary imines.

Direct synthesis of imines from nitro compounds and biomass-derived carbonyl compounds over nitrogen-doped carbon material supported Ni nanoparticles

A kind of nitrogen-doped carbon material and MgO co-supported Ni nanoparticle catalyst has been developed and demonstrates high activity, selectivity and stability.

Au nanoparticles on Fe-modified rutile TiO2(110): Dispersion, thermal stability, and CO adsorption

Gold clusters on an iron-modified rutile TiO₂(110) surface have been characterized via scanning tunneling microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. This study is focused on the impact of submonolayer preadsorbed Fe on the morphologies, surface compositions, and thermal stabilities of bimetallic Au-Fe systems by comparing them to elemental Au and Fe adsorbates. We found that a submonolayer gold adsorbate followed the nucleation mode of the iron precursor, which considerably enhanced the dispersion of nano-gold while improving its thermal stability. Finally, the temperature-programmed CO desorption spectra of Au and Au-Fe nanoparticles on TiO₂(110) were compared.

Intermetallic Ni2Si/SiCN as a highly efficient catalyst for the one-pot tandem synthesis of imines and secondary amines

For the one-pot reductive amination of benzaldehyde with nitrobenzene, intermetallic Ni₂Si/SiCN from the decomposition of a nickel-modified polysilazane precursor exhibited high activity (>99%) and high selectivity (92% to aromatic amine).

Tandem transformations and multicomponent reactions utilizing alcohols following dehydrogenation strategy

In this review, the progress of tandem transformation of nitro, nitrile and azide functionalities is summarised to develop new C–C and C–N bonds as well as multi-component reactions using alcohols.

Effective N-methylation of nitroarenes with methanol catalyzed by a functionalized NHC-based iridium catalyst: a green approach to N-methyl amines

An Ir–NHC compound catalyzes the borrowing-hydrogen reduction of nitroarenes into N-methyl amines with methanol through a direct mechanism.

Bimetallic Au@M (M = Ag, Pd, Fe, and Cu) Nanoarchitectures Mediated by 1,4-Phenylene Diisocyanide Functionalization

Hybridization with gold has attracted a lot of attention in many application areas such as energy, nanomedicine, and catalysts. Here, we demonstrate electrochemical hybridization of two different metals by using bare and 1,4-phenylene diisocyanide (PDI) functionalized gold nanoislands (GNIs) supported on a Si substrate. As pristine GNIs are not tightly locked on the Si surface, bimetallic Au@M (M = Ag, Pd, Fe, and Cu) core-shell type nanostructures are produced by an electric-field-induced clustering of GNIs and metal deposition. On the other hand, upon functionalization of GNIs by PDI, 3D island growth on the functionalized GNI template is observed as PDI acts as a protector against the electric-field-induced clustering. Depth-profiling X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals no discernible difference in the interfacial electronic structures of hybrid metals prepared by using pristine and PDI-functionalized GNI templates. This work demonstrates a new approach to produce a secured template and to manipulate growth of hybrid nanoparticles on this template supported on a Si substrate by using electrodeposition and organic functionalization.

Amine-functionalized MIL-101(Cr) embedded with Co(ii) phthalocyanine as a durable catalyst for one-pot tandem oxidative A3coupling reactions of alcohols

In this study, we report a metal–organic framework (MIL-101(Cr)-NH₂) postsynthetically modifiedviacovalent immobilization of cobalt(ii) phthalocyanine as an efficient and mild catalytic system.

An enzyme-like imprinted-polymer reactor with segregated quantum confinements for a tandem catalyst

This study was aimed at addressing the present challenge in tandem catalysts, as to how to furnish catalysts with tandem catalytic-ability without involving the precise control and man-made isolation of different types of catalytic sites. This objective was realized by constructing an enzyme-like imprinted-polymer reactor made of a unique polymer composite inspired from the compartmentalization of cells, a composite of a reactive imprinted polymer (containing acidic catalytic sites), and encapsulated metal nanoparticles (acting as catalytic reduction sites). The compilation of two types of catalytic sites with admissible access allowed this reactor to behave like compartments of cells for enzymatic reactions and hence catalytically constituted two quantum interaction-segregated domains, which led to the occurrence of catalytic tandem processes. Unlike the reported functional reactors that run tandem catalysis by largely depending on the precise control and man-made isolation of different types of catalytic sites, tandem catalysis in this reactor run naturally with segregated quantum confinements, which does not involve the precise control and isolation of different types of catalytic sites. This protocol presents new opportunities for the development of functional catalysts for complicated chemical processes.

This study was aimed at addressing the present challenge in tandem catalysts: how to furnish catalysts with tandem catalytic-ability without involving the precise control and man-made isolation of different types of catalytic sites.

Multifunctional supported bimetallic catalysts for a cascade reaction with hydrogen auto transfer: synthesis of 4-phenylbutan-2-ones from 4-methoxybenzyl alcohols

One pot synthesis of Raspberry Ketone Methyl Ether using a multifunctional AuPd supported on MgO catalyst.