Single-Atom Zinc-Catalyzed C/N-Alkylation through Borrowing Hydrogen Processes

Keywords

single-atom catalyst - zinc - C/N-alkylation - borrowing hydrogen

Significance

Nitrogen-doped carbon-supported single-atom zinc (Zn-N₄-C), prepared according to equation 1, catalyzed the α-alkylation of nitriles, sulfones, ketones or secondary alcohols with alcohols as alkylating agents in the presence of NaNH₂ under 10 bar nitrogen to give the corresponding α-alkylated products in ≤ 99 % yield (eqs. 2–5).

Comment

The catalyst also promoted the N-alkylation of amines or amides with alcohols under similar conditions, affording the corresponding N-alkylated products (eqs. 6 and 7). In the α-alkylation of phenyl acetonitrile with benzyl alcohol, the catalyst was reused five times without a significant loss of its catalytic activity. A hot-filtration experiment demonstrated the heterogeneity of the alkylation.

Publication History

Article published online:
21 November 2024