Selective hydrogenation of amides and imides over heterogeneous Pt-based catalysts

Abstract

The hydrogenation of amides is an important but highly challenging reaction, which usually is applied under drastic conditions (temperature >160 °C). Here, we report a heterogeneous Pt–MoO_x/TiO₂ catalyst for amide and imide hydrogenation under milder conditions. The catalytic reactivity is proposed to originate from the synergistic effect between surface active species. Pt promotes formation of partially reduced MoO_x that is responsible for CO activation, and MoO_x-modified Pt can more efficiently generate surface species from gas-phase H₂. This catalyst system enables the selective hydrogenation of several 2° and 3° amides as well as imides.