Low-Temperature Reductive Amination of Carbonyl Compounds over Ru Deposited on Nb₂O₅·<i>n</i>H₂O

Abstract

The synthesis of amines from biomass-based feedstock is in high demand given the depletion of fossil fuels. Reductive amination is one of the most straightforward synthetic methods to obtain a variety of amines; however, it is prone to denaturation and side reactions under the harsh conditions required. By fine-tuning the surface acidity of niobic acid (Nb2O5·nH2O), we evaluated the relationship between catalytic activity on reductive amination with the amount of acid sites on Nb2O5·nH2O. Ru/Nb2O5·nH2O reduced at 300 °C was found to be an efficient catalyst for the reductive amination of biomass-derived carbonyl compounds under low temperature to afford primary amines, without the formation of secondary amines or hydrogenated products.