Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 30, 2025

A Simple, Low-cost, and Robust System to Measure the Volume of Hydrogen Evolved by Chemical Reactions with Aqueous Solutions
Published on: August 17, 2016
Ionic-Liquid Hydrogen-Bonding Promoted Alcohols Amination over Cobalt Catalyst via Dihydrogen Autotransfer Mechanism
Zhengang Ke1,2, Yuepeng Wang1,3, Yanfei Zhao1,3
1Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 2, Zhongguancun Beiyijie, Beijing, 100190, China.
Abstract:
Higher amines are important high-valuable chemicals with wide applications, and amination of alcohols is a green route to them, which however generally suffers from harsh reaction conditions and use of equivalent base. Herein, we report an ionic-liquid (IL) hydrogen-bonding promoted dihydrogen autotransfer strategy for amination of alcohols to higher amines over cobalt catalyst under base-free conditions. Co(BF4 )2 ⋅ 6 H2 O complexed with triphos and IL (e. g., tetrabutylphosphonium tetrafluoroborate, [P4444 ][BF4 ]) shows high performances for the reaction and is tolerant of a wide scope of amines and alcohols, affording higher amines in good to excellent yields. Mechanism investigation indicates that the [BF4 ]- anion activates the alcohol via hydrogen bonding, promoting transfer of both hydroxyl H and α-H atoms of alcohol to the cobalt catalyst to form an aldehyde intermediate and cobalt dihydride complex, which are involved in the subsequent reductive amination. This strategy provides a green and effective route for alcohol amination, which may have promising applications in alcohol-involved alkylation reactions.
More Related Videos
08:40Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles Supported on Carbon Nanotube with Doped Co and N Atoms and its Catalytic Applications in Hydrogen Production
Published on: December 6, 2021
06:46Facile Preparation of 2Z,4E-Dienamides by the Olefination of Electron-deficient Alkenes with Allyl Acetate
Published on: June 21, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Preparation of Alcohols via Addition Reactions
The acid-catalyzed addition of water to the double bond of alkenes is a large-scale industrial method used to synthesize low-molecular-weight alcohols. An acidic atmosphere is required to allow the hydrogen in the water molecule to act as an electrophile and attack the double bond in an alkene. The addition of a proton to the double bond creates a carbocation intermediate. The proton preferentially bonds to the less substituted end of the double bond to create a more stable carbocation...
Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
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.
Acid-Catalyzed Dehydration of Alcohols to Alkenes
Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation
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...
Reduction of Alkenes: 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...
Alcohols from Carbonyl Compounds: Reduction
Catalytic hydrogenation is similar to the reduction of an alkene or alkyne by adding H2 across the pi bond in the presence of transition metal catalysts like Raney Ni, Pd–C, Pt, or Ru. Aldehydes and ketones can be reduced by this method, often under mild to moderate heat (25–100°C) and...