Nanoparticles and single atoms of cobalt synergistically enabled low-temperature reductive amination of carbonyl compounds

Low-temperature and selective reductive amination of carbonyl compounds is a highly promising approach to access primary amines. However, it remains a great challenge to conduct this attractive route efficiently over earth-abundant metal-based catalysts. Herein, we designed several Co-based catalysts (denoted as Co@C–N(x), where x represents the pyrolysis temperature) by the pyrolysis of the metal–organic framework ZIF-67 at different temperatures. Very interestingly, the prepared Co@C–N(800) could efficiently catalyze the reductive amination of various aldehydes/ketones to synthesize the corresponding primary amines with high yields at 35 °C. Besides non-noble metal and mild temperature, the other unique advantage of the catalyst was that the substrates with different reduction-sensitive groups could be converted into primary amines selectively because the Co-based catalyst was not active for these groups at low temperature. Systematic analysis revealed that the catalyst was composed of graphene encapsulated Co nanoparticles and atomically dispersed Co–N_x sites. The Co particles promoted the hydrogenation step, while the Co–N_x sites acted as acidic sites to activate the intermediate (Schiff base). The synergistic effect of metallic Co particles and Co–N_x sites is crucial for the excellent performance of the catalyst Co@C–N(800). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on efficient synthesis of primary amines via reductive amination of carbonyl compounds over earth-abundant metal-based catalysts at low temperature (35 °C).

An earth-abundant Co-based catalyst, Co@C–N(800), could efficiently catalyze the reductive amination of carbonyl compounds into primary amines at 35 °C owing to the synergistic effect of Co nanoparticles and atomically dispersed Co–N_x sites.     

Reductive Amination of Carbonyl Compounds with Ammonia and Hydrogenation of Nitriles to Primary Amines with Heterogeneous Cobalt Catalysts

Reductive amination of aldehydes/ketones with aqueous NH3 and hydrogenation of nitriles to primary amines with Co catalysts were reported. Co@NC-700 exhibited remarkable activity and high selectivity for the reductive amination of aldehydes/ketones with aqueous NH3 and the hydrogenation of nitriles to primary amines. Several primary amines can be obtained with good to excellent yields via the reductive amination of aldehydes/ketones and the hydrogenation of nitriles. The nitrogen-doped carbon(C)-supported Co@NC-700 metal catalyst was prepared via the pyrolysis of bioMOF Co/adenine in activated C. Co@NC-700 can be reused five times without evident loss of activity.     

General and selective synthesis of primary amines using Ni-based homogeneous catalysts

The development of base metal catalysts for industrially relevant amination and hydrogenation reactions by applying abundant and atom economical reagents continues to be important for the cost-effective and sustainable synthesis of amines which represent highly essential chemicals. In particular, the synthesis of primary amines is of central importance because these compounds serve as key precursors and central intermediates to produce value-added fine and bulk chemicals as well as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and materials. Here we report a Ni-triphos complex as the first Ni-based homogeneous catalyst for both reductive amination of carbonyl compounds with ammonia and hydrogenation of nitroarenes to prepare all kinds of primary amines. Remarkably, this Ni-complex enabled the synthesis of functionalized and structurally diverse benzylic, heterocyclic and aliphatic linear and branched primary amines as well as aromatic primary amines starting from inexpensive and easily accessible carbonyl compounds (aldehydes and ketones) and nitroarenes using ammonia and molecular hydrogen. This Ni-catalyzed reductive amination methodology has been applied for the amination of more complex pharmaceuticals and steroid derivatives. Detailed DFT computations have been performed for the Ni-triphos based reductive amination reaction, and they revealed that the overall reaction has an inner-sphere mechanism with H₂ metathesis as the rate-determining step.

A Ni-triphos based homogeneous catalyst enabled the synthesis of all kinds of primary amines by reductive amination of carbonyl compounds with ammonia and hydrogenation of nitroarenes.     

Production of Primary Amines by Reductive Amination of Biomass‐Derived Aldehydes/Ketones

Transformation of biomass into valuable nitrogen‐containing compounds is highly desired, yet limited success has been achieved. Here we report an efficient catalyst system, partially reduced Ru/ZrO₂, which could catalyze the reductive amination of a variety of biomass‐derived aldehydes/ketones in aqueous ammonia. With this approach, a spectrum of renewable primary amines was produced in good to excellent yields. Moreover, we have demonstrated a two‐step approach for production of ethanolamine, a large‐market nitrogen‐containing chemical, from lignocellulose in an overall yield of 10 %. Extensive characterizations showed that Ru/ZrO₂‐containing multivalence Ru association species worked as a bifunctional catalyst, with RuO₂ as acidic promoter to facilitate the activation of carbonyl groups and Ru as active sites for the subsequent imine hydrogenation.     

Chemoselective hydrogenation of nitriles to primary amines catalyzed by water‐soluble transition metal catalysts

The water‐soluble rhodium complex generated in situ from [Rh (COD)Cl]₂ in aqueous ammonia has been revealed as a highly efficient catalyst for the hydrogenation of aromatic nitriles, to primary amines with excellent yields. The catalyst is also highly selective towards primary amines in the case of sterically hindered aliphatic nitriles. The catalytic system can also be recycled and re‐used with no significant loss of activity.     

Selective N-alkylation of amines using nitriles under hydrogenation conditions: facile synthesis of secondary and tertiary amines

Nitriles were found to be highly effective alkylating reagents for the selective N-alkylation of amines under catalytic hydrogenation conditions. For the aromatic primary amines, the corresponding secondary amines were selectively obtained under Pd/C-catalyzed hydrogenation conditions. Although the use of electron poor aromatic amines or bulky nitriles showed a lower reactivity toward the reductive alkylation, the addition of NH(4)OAc enhanced the reactivity to give secondary aromatic amines in good to excellent yields. Under the same reaction conditions, aromatic nitro compounds instead of the aromatic primary amines could be directly transformed into secondary amines via a domino reaction involving the one-pot hydrogenation of the nitro group and the reductive alkylation of the amines. While aliphatic amines were effectively converted to the corresponding tertiary amines under Pd/C-catalyzed conditions, Rh/C was a highly effective catalyst for the N-monoalkylation of aliphatic primary amines without over-alkylation to the tertiary amines. Furthermore, the combination of the Rh/C-catalyzed N-monoalkylation of the aliphatic primary amines and additional Pd/C-catalyzed alkylation of the resulting secondary aliphatic amines could selectively prepare aliphatic tertiary amines possessing three different alkyl groups. According to the mechanistic studies, it seems reasonable to conclude that nitriles were reduced to aldimines before the nucleophilic attack of the amine during the first step of the reaction.     

Hayashi ligand-based rhodium complex in carbon monoxide and molecular hydrogen-assisted reductive amination

The CO- and H₂-assisted reductive amination of carbonyl compounds catalyzed by stable chiral Hayashi ligand-based rhodium complex afforded the racemic amines in moderate yields. The racemic outcome of the process results from the elimination of the chiral ligand from the catalyst under the action of hydrogen or carbon monoxide as reductants.     

Reductive amination of carbonyl compounds using NaBH4 in a Brønsted acidic ionic liquid

Reductive amination of carbonyl compounds using sodium borohydride is conducted in the Brønsted acidic ionic liquid, 1-methyl imidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([HMIm][BF₄]). The ionic liquid plays the dual role of solvent as well as catalyst for efficient conversion of aldehydes and ketones to amines in excellent yields without the formation of side products.     

Ruthenium/Imidazolylphosphine Catalysis: Hydrogenation of Aliphatic and Aromatic Nitriles to Form Amines

A convenient and efficient catalyst system for the hydrogenation of aliphatic nitriles towards the corresponding primary amines in high to excellent yields is presented. In addition, aromatic nitriles are reduced smoothly, too. The use of low catalyst loadings and molecular hydrogen make this protocol an attractive methodology.     

Well-defined NHC–Pd(II)–Im (NHC=N-heterocyclic carbene; Im=1-methylimidazole) complex catalyzed C–N coupling of primary amines with aryl chlorides

We report herein a well-defined NHC–Pd(II)–Im (NHC=N-heterocyclic carbene; Im=1-methylimidazole) complex catalyzed C–N coupling of primary amines with aryl chlorides. Under the optimal reaction conditions, a variety of primary amines can be coupled with aryl chlorides to give the amination products in good to high yields within 4 h. It is worthy of noting here that the NHC–Pd(II)–Im complex showed especially high catalytic activity toward challenging sterically hindered substrates including both of aryl amines and aryl chlorides. In addition, alkyl amines were also proved to be suitable reaction partners to give the corresponding amination products in good to high yields.     

Selective aerobic oxidation of benzylic amines to aryl nitriles catalyzed by CuBr2/N-methyl imidazole

A convenient and efficient copper-catalyzed aerobic oxidation of primary amines to aryl nitriles was described. Various benzylic and allylic amines were selectively oxidized to the corresponding nitriles in high yields using CuBr₂/NMI as the catalyst and O₂ as the oxidant. The oxidation reaction profiles monitored by ¹H NMR disclosed the scenario of the reaction path as well as the role of the additives. The addition of NMI increased the rate of reaction and suppressed the hydrolysis and the deamination.     

Chemoselective Synthesis of Substituted Imines,Secondary Amines,and β‐Amino Carbonyl Compounds from Nitroaromatics through Cascade Reactions on Gold Catalysts

Substituted imines, α,β‐unsaturated imines, substituted secondary amines, and β‐amino carbonyl compounds have been synthesized by means of new cascade reactions with mono‐ or bifunctional gold‐based solid catalysts under mild reaction conditions. The related synthetic route involves the hydrogenation of a nitroaromatic compound in the presence of a second reactant such as an aldehyde, α,β‐unsaturated carbonyl compound, or alkyne, which circumvents an ex situ reduction process for producing the aromatic amine. The process is shown to be highly selective towards other competing groups, such as double bonds, carbonyls, halogens, nitriles, or cinnamates, and thereby allows the synthesis of different substituted nitrogenated compounds. For the preparation of imines, substituted anilines are formed and condensed in situ with aldehydes to provide the final product through two tandem reactions. High chemoselectivity is observed, for instance, when double bonds or halides are present within the reactants. In addition, we show that the Au/TiO₂ system is also able to catalyze the chemoselective hydrogenation of imines, so that secondary amines can be prepared directly through a three‐step cascade reaction by starting from nitroaromatic compounds and aldehydes. On the other hand, Au/TiO₂ can also be used as a bifunctional catalyst to obtain substituted β‐amino carbonyl compounds from nitroaromatics and α,β‐unsaturated carbonyl compounds. Whereas gold sites promote the in situ formation of anilines, the intrinsic acidity of Ti species on the support surface accelerates the subsequent Michael addition. Finally, two gold‐catalyzed reactions, that is, the hydrogenation of nitro groups and a hydroamination, have been coupled to synthesize additional substituted imines from nitroaromatic compounds and alkynes.     

A State-of-the-Art Heterogeneous Catalyst for Efficient and General Nitrile Hydrogenation

Cobalt-doped hybrid materials consisting of metal oxides and carbon derived from chitin were prepared, characterized and tested for industrially relevant nitrile hydrogenations. The optimal catalyst supported onto MgO showed, after pyrolysis at 700 °C, magnesium oxide nanocubes decorated with carbon-enveloped Co nanoparticles. This special structure allows for the selective hydrogenation of diverse and demanding nitriles to the corresponding primary amines under mild conditions (e.g. 70 °C, 20 bar H₂). The advantage of this novel catalytic material is showcased for industrially important substrates, including adipodinitrile, picolinonitrile, and fatty acid nitriles. Notably, the developed system outperformed all other tested commercial catalysts, for example, Raney Nickel and even noble-metal-based systems in these transformations.     

Synthesis of hindered tertiary amines by a mild reductive amination procedure

An efficient metal-free procedure for the synthesis of tertiary amines by the reductive amination of carbonyl compounds is reported, which allows a convergent access to sterically hindered amines of the general formulas NR(R′)₂ and NRR′R″. The mild and operationally simple protocol uses the Hantzsch ester for transfer hydrogenation and catalytic amounts of thiourea for imine activation.     

Facile and efficient method for preparation of schiff bases catalyzed by P2O5/SiO2 under free solvent conditions

A simple and convenient method for the preparation of Schiff bases is developed. In this method, the Schiff base compounds were prepared from the reaction of carbonyl compounds with primary amines. In this reaction, P₂O₅/SiO₂ have catalyzed the Schiff base formation in dry media under solvent‐free conditions. Advantages of this method are use of an inexpensive and efficient catalyst, high yields of products, short reaction times, and simpli‐city of the reaction and workup. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 19:43–47, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20383     

Synthesis of chiral N,N′-disubstituted 1,2-benzenediamines from o-dibromobenzene

Palladium-catalyzed amination of o-dibromobenzene provided chiral N,N′-disubstituted 1,2-benzenediamines in good to excellent yields. The amination was executed stepwise and in one pot to give unsymmetrically and symmetrically substituted 1,2-benzenediamines. Incorporation of chiral primary amines was possible without racemization using catalytic Pd₂dba₃–BINAP.     

Fast Reductive Amination by Transfer Hydrogenation “on Water”

Reductive amination of various ketones and aldehydes by transfer hydrogenation under aqueous conditions has been developed, by using cyclometallated iridium complexes as catalysts and formate as hydrogen source. The pH value of the solution is shown to be critical for a high catalytic chemoselectivity and activity, with the best pH value being 4.8. In comparison with that in organic solvents, the reductive amination in an aqueous phase is faster, and the molar ratio of the substrate to the catalyst (S/C) can be set as high as 1×10⁵, the highest S/C value ever reported in reductive amination reactions. The catalyst is easy to access and the reaction is operationally simple, allowing a wide range of ketones and aldehydes to react with various amines in high yields. The protocol provides a practical and environmental friendly new method for the synthesis of amine compounds.     

Silica Boron Sulfuric Acid Nanoparticles: As an Efficient and Reusable Catalyst for the Large‐Scale Synthesis of α‐Amino Nitriles Using the Strecker Reaction

A highly efficient and green procedure for the large‐scale synthesis of α‐amino nitriles using three‐component condensation of carbonyl compounds, amines, and trimethylsilylcyanide has been developed. Silica boron sulfuric acid nanoparticles (SBSANs) are found as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the promotion of this process at room temperature under solvent‐free conditions. This protocol offers an effective and scale‐up procedure for the synthesis of various α‐amino nitriles using a wide range of amines and carbonyl compounds in relatively short reaction time with the excellent isolated yields. In addition, the SBSAN catalyst is easily separated from the reaction mixture by simple filtration and can be reused several times. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 24:1–8, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com . DOI 10.1002/hc.21052     

Direct reductive amination of carbonyl compounds with primary/secondary amines using recyclable water-soluble Fe/EDTA complex as catalyst

Direct reductive amination of aliphatic, aromatic and heterocyclic carbonyl compounds with primary/secondary amines is reported with water-soluble Fe^II/EDTA complex as a catalyst using low-pressure molecular hydrogen in a biphasic media. The catalyst is highly selective, recyclable and is an excellent replacement for expensive noble metal catalysts or stoichiometric reducing agents.     

Complex containing a Lewis acid and Brønsted acid for the catalytic reactions of aza-Michael addition

The novel efficient complex catalyst containing a Lewis acid and a Brønsted acid have been prepared by the reaction of proline ion liquid and cuprous iodide. The catalyst was characterized by FT-IR techniques using pyridine as probe molecule. A fast, mild, and quantitative procedure for aza-Michael addition reactions between various amines and α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds and nitriles has been developed using the novel complex catalyst. The results showed that the novel catalyst owned high activities for the reactions with excellent yields within 1 min.