Microwave-heated γ-Alumina Applied to the Reduction of Aldehydes to Alcohols
Journal article, 2020

The development of cheap and robust heterogeneous catalysts for the Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley (MPV) reduction is desirable due to the difficulties in product isolation and catalyst recovery associated with the traditional use of homogeneous catalysts for MPV. Herein, we show that microwave heated γ-Al2O3 can be used for the reduction of aldehydes to alcohols. The reaction is efficient and has a broad substrates scope (19 entries). The products can be isolated by simple filtration, and the catalyst can be regenerated. With the use of microwave heating, we can direct the heating to the catalyst rather than to the whole reaction medium. Furthermore, DFT was used to study the reaction mechanism, and we can conclude that a dual-site mechanism is operative where the aldehyde and 2-propoxide are situated on two adjacent Al sites during the reduction. Additionally, volcano plots were used to rationalize the reactivity of Al2O3 in comparison to other metal oxides.

MPV reduction

γ-Al O 2 3

Microwave-assisted catalysis

Author

Bhausaheb Kashinath Dhokale

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Arturo Susarrey- Arce

Chalmers, Physics, Chemical Physics

MESA Institute for Nanotechnology

Anna Pekkari

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry

August Runemark

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Kasper Moth-Poulsen

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry

Christoph Langhammer

Chalmers, Physics, Chemical Physics

Hanna Härelind

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Michael Busch

Aalto University

Matthias Vandichel

University of Limerick

Henrik Sundén

University of Gothenburg

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry

ChemCatChem

1867-3880 (ISSN) 1867-3899 (eISSN)

Vol. 12 24 6344-6355

Single Particle Catalysis in Nanoreactors (SPCN)

Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (KAW2015.0057), 2016-01-01 -- 2020-12-31.

Areas of Advance

Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

Subject Categories

Chemical Process Engineering

Other Physics Topics

Bioenergy

DOI

10.1002/cctc.202001284

More information

Latest update

4/5/2022 1