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Preparation and Reactions of Thiols

Preparation and Reactions of Thiols

Thiols are prepared using the hydrosulfide anion as a nucleophile in a nucleophilic substitution reaction with alkyl halides. For instance, bromobutane reacts with sodium hydrosulfide to give butanethiol.

Catalysis

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The presence of a catalyst affects the rate of a chemical reaction. A catalyst is a substance that can increase the reaction rate without being consumed during the process. A basic comprehension of a catalysts’ role during chemical reactions can be understood from the concept of reaction mechanisms and energy diagrams.

Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation

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Catalytic hydrogenation of alkenes is a transition-metal catalyzed reduction of the double bond using molecular hydrogen to give alkanes. The mode of hydrogen addition follows syn stereochemistry.
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...

Preparation and Reactions of Sulfides

Preparation and Reactions of Sulfides

Sulfides are the sulfur analog of ethers, just as thiols are the sulfur analog of alcohol. Like ethers, sulfides also consist of two hydrocarbon groups bonded to the central sulfur atom. Depending upon the type of groups present, sulfides can be symmetrical or asymmetrical. Symmetrical sulfides can be prepared via an SN2 reaction between 2 equivalents of an alkyl halide and one equivalent of sodium sulfide.

Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation

Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation

Introduction
Like alkenes, alkynes can be reduced to alkanes in the presence of transition metal catalysts such as Pt, Pd, or Ni. The reaction involves two sequential syn additions of hydrogen via a cis-alkene intermediate.

Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation

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Alkenes undergo reduction by the addition of molecular hydrogen to give alkanes. Because the process generally occurs in the presence of a transition-metal catalyst, the reaction is called catalytic hydrogenation.
Metals like palladium, platinum, and nickel are commonly used in their solid forms — fine powder on an inert surface. As these catalysts remain insoluble in the reaction mixture, they are referred to as heterogeneous catalysts.
The hydrogenation process takes place on the...

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Chemical Precipitation Method for the Synthesis of Nb2O5 Modified Bulk Nickel Catalysts with High Specific Surface Area

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Published on: February 19, 2018

Upgrading heterogeneous Ni catalysts with thiol modification.

Pengpeng Ruan¹, Bili Chen¹, Qin Zhou²

¹State Key Laboratory for Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, and Department of Chemistry, National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Preparation Technology of Nanomaterials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.

Innovation (Cambridge (Mass.))

|January 13, 2023

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed cost-effective, air-stable nickel catalysts using thiol modification. These catalysts show high efficiency and selectivity in reductive amination, offering a sustainable alternative to precious metals for amine production.

Keywords:

earth-abundant metal metal heterogeneous catalyst reductive amination of aldehydes/ketones surface modification thiol

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Area of Science:

Catalysis
Materials Science
Green Chemistry

Background:

Precious metal catalysts are vital in industrial chemistry but are expensive and unsustainable.
Developing earth-abundant metal catalysts is crucial for green chemical development.
Reductive amination is a key reaction for producing valuable amines.

Purpose of the Study:

To create cost-effective, air-stable, and highly efficient nickel (Ni) catalysts.
To explore the use of simple thiol surface modification for catalyst enhancement.
To achieve selective primary amine synthesis via reductive amination.

Main Methods:

Surface modification of nickel catalysts using thiols.
Testing catalyst performance in the reductive amination of aldehydes and ketones.
Analyzing catalyst stability and reaction mechanisms.

Main Results:

The thiol-modified Ni catalysts demonstrated exceptionally high activity and selectivity.
The modification prevented nickel oxidation, ensuring long-term air stability.
A non-contact reaction mechanism was proposed, leading to selective primary amine formation.
Performance surpassed existing precious and non-precious metal catalysts.

Conclusions:

Thiol-modified nickel catalysts offer a superior, sustainable alternative for industrial reductive amination.
This approach enables cost-effective and green production of high-value amines.
The developed catalysts show significant promise for large-scale chemical manufacturing.