Commercial Cu 2 Cr 2 O 5 Decorated with Iron Carbide Nanoparticles as a Multifunctional Catalyst for Magnetically Induced Continuous‐Flow Hydrogenation of Aromatic Ketones

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie Vol. 133; no. 51; pp. 26843 - 26850
• Main Authors: Kreissl, Hannah, Jin, Jing, Lin, Sheng‐Hsiang, Schüette, Dirk, Störtte, Sven, Levin, Natalia, Chaudret, Bruno, Vorholt, Andreas J., Bordet, Alexis, Leitner, Walter
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 13.12.2021
• ISSN: 0044-8249; 1521-3757
• DOI: 10.1002/ange.202107916

Abstract Copper chromite is decorated with iron carbide nanoparticles, producing a magnetically activatable multifunctional catalytic system. This system (ICNPs@Cu 2 Cr 2 O 5 ) can reduce aromatic ketones to aromatic alcohols when exposed to magnetic induction. Under magnetic excitation, the ICNPs generate locally confined hot spots, selectively activating the Cu 2 Cr 2 O 5 surface while the global temperature remains low (≈80 °C). The catalyst selectively hydrogenates a scope of benzylic and non‐benzylic ketones under mild conditions (3 bar H 2 , heptane), while ICNPs@Cu 2 Cr 2 O 5 or Cu 2 Cr 2 O 5 are inactive when the same global temperature is adjusted by conventional heating. A flow reactor is presented that allows the use of magnetic induction for continuous‐flow hydrogenation at elevated pressure. The excellent catalytic properties of ICNPs@Cu 2 Cr 2 O 5 for the hydrogenation of biomass‐derived furfuralacetone are conserved for at least 17 h on stream, demonstrating for the first time the application of a magnetically heated catalyst to a continuously operated hydrogenation reaction in the liquid phase.