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Updated: Oct 9, 2025

Microwave-Assisted Preparation of 1-Aryl-1H-pyrazole-5-amines
Published on: June 23, 2019
Highly selective synthesis of primary amines from amide over Ru-Nb2 O5 catalysts
Wanjun Guo1, Qineng Xia2, Hongyan Jia2
1Shanghai Key Laboratory of Functional Materials Chemistry and Research, Research Institute of Industrial Catalysis, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, No. 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, P. R. China.
Abstract:
Amines are an important class of compounds in natural products and medicines. The universal availability of amides provides a potential way for the synthesis of amines. Herein, Ru/Nb2 O5 catalyst is demonstrated to be highly efficient and stable for the selective hydrogenation of propionamide to propylamine (as a model reaction), with up to 91.4% yield of propylamine under relatively mild conditions. Results from XPS analyses, CO chemisorption, TEM images and DRIFTS spectra revealed that the unique properties of Nb2 O5 can effectively activate the C=O group of amides, and the smaller Ru particles on Nb2 O5 could further promote the activation, leading to superior catalytic performance of Ru/Nb2 O5 for amide hydrogenation. Meanwhile, reducing the surface acidity of Nb2 O5 can greatly inhibit the side reactions to by-products, and further enhance the selectivity to amine. Moreover, this catalytic system is also applicable for the hydrogenation of a variety of amides and provides high potential for the industrial production of primary amines from amides.
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