Hydrogenation of nitriles to primary amines with a carbon-coated Ni/NiO@C catalyst under friendly conditions

Abstract

Reusable catalysts based on non-noble metals with broad applicability for nitrile catalytic hydrogenation are key to achieving more sustainable primary amine production. Herein, a simple and efficient carbon-coated non-noble nickel-based catalyst (Ni/NiO@C-600-200-1-H2O) was developed for the hydrogenation of aromatic substituted nitriles to aromatic substituted amines under relatively mild conditions (120 °C, 10 bar H2, 4 h). The carbon-coated structure endows the catalyst with excellent anti-agglomeration properties, significantly enhancing its cycling stability. The catalyst exhibits high tolerance toward various functional groups, including halogen, methyl, and methoxy, achieving remarkable conversion rates (over 99%) and product selectivity (up to 98.25%). Additionally, the catalyst's magnetic properties facilitate easy recovery and reuse. When applied to a continuous flow reactor for benzonitrile hydrogenation under optimized conditions, the catalyst demonstrated a conversion rate and selectivity exceeding 99%, with continuous operation lasting up to 31 h.

Graphical abstract: Hydrogenation of nitriles to primary amines with a carbon-coated Ni/NiO@C catalyst under friendly conditions

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Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
27 Feb 2025
Accepted
10 Apr 2025
First published
11 Apr 2025

React. Chem. Eng., 2025, Advance Article

Hydrogenation of nitriles to primary amines with a carbon-coated Ni/NiO@C catalyst under friendly conditions

W. Liu and J. Liu, React. Chem. Eng., 2025, Advance Article , DOI: 10.1039/D5RE00096C

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