Graphene-supported organoiridium clusters catalyze N-alkylation of amines via hydrogen borrowing reaction

Abstract

Graphene-supported organic iridium clusters (GSOICs) have been designed, prepared, characterized, and used for N-alkylation of amines via hydrogen borrowing reactions. Structural analysis data (including IR, XPS, TEM and EDS) show that organoiridium clusters are uniformly formed on the surface of graphene, and the grain size of GSOIC is between 1 and 3 nm. After being activated by the auxiliary ligand TMPP (tris(4-methoxyphenyl)phosphine), GSOIC showed excellent catalytic performance for hydrogen borrowing reaction, with its turnover frequency (TOF) reaching 13.67 h⁻¹. Multi-cycle catalysis shows that the GSOIC/TMPP catalytic system exhibits high stability and reliability, with the turnover number (TON) of each catalytic cycle reaching 328, and the cumulative TON of 10 consecutive catalytic cycles reaching 3280. These systems exhibit excellent N-alkylation for a variety of substrates under one-pot conditions without the need for bases, solvents, and other additives, representing a sustainable and environmentally friendly catalytic reaction strategy.