A Highly Dispersed Heterogeneous Cobalt Catalyst for Efficient Domino Hydroformylation Reductive Amination of Olefins

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie Vol. 137; no. 9
• Main Authors: Sun, Kangkang, Su, Tianyue, Lu, Guo‐Ping, Franke, Robert, Neumann, Helfried, Beller, Matthias
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 24.02.2025
• Subjects: Alkenes; Amination; Amines; Catalysts; Cobalt; Heterogeneous Catalysis; Hydroaminomethylation; Olefins; Synergistic effect
• ISSN: 0044-8249; 1521-3757
• DOI: 10.1002/ange.202419370

The hydroaminomethylation of alkenes using CO and H2 proceeds efficiently in the presence of a heterogeneous Co−N/C catalyst with highly dispersed metal centers. Various secondary and tertiary amines can be effectively synthesized from cyclic and linear aliphatic alkenes using this specific material. The active sites of the optimal catalyst result from the synergistic effect of atomically dispersed Co sites with their surrounding N atoms, and the high surface area as well as structural defects of the NC support. The broad applicability (>54 examples), including pharmaceutically relevant molecules, together with the high activity and reusability, underline the general applicability of this catalytic system. A highly dispersed Co−N/C catalyst has been developed for the efficient hydroaminomethylation of alkenes using CO and H2. This heterogeneous catalyst enables the synthesis of a broad range of secondary and tertiary amines, including pharmaceutically relevant molecules. The catalyst shows excellent activity, reusability, and scale‐up potential, offering a green and cost‐effective alternative to noble metal catalysts for amine synthesis.