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 6344-6355Single Particle Catalysis in Nanoreactors (SPCN)
Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (KAW2015.0057), 2016-01-01 -- 2020-12-31.
Areas of Advance
Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (SO 2010-2017, EI 2018-)
Subject Categories
Chemical Process Engineering
Other Physics Topics
Bioenergy
DOI
10.1002/cctc.202001284