[CuII-Hfur–imidazole] compounds as precursors of efficient hydrogenation and reductive alkylation catalysts in flow systems

The reaction of copper(II) acetate with furoic acids (2Hfur / 3Hfur) and imidazole (Im) in methanol resulted in mononuclear complexes [Cu(fur)2(Im)2(H2O)]·L (fur- = 2fur- (1, 2), 3fur- (3); L = MeCN (1)) whose structures were determined by direct single crystal X-ray analysis. It was found for the first time that copper nanoparticles immobilized on the surface of γ-Al2O3 obtained by chemical reduction of 1, 2 and 3 (pre-deposited on the surface from solution) with sodium tetrahydroborate show high selectivity of mono- and dihydrogenation of tricyclo[5.2.1.02,6]deca-3,8-diene (dicyclopentadiene, DCPD). The catalytic activity tests show a high selectivity (97 %) of the catalyst obtained from an ethanolic solution of complex 1 in the reaction of partial hydrogenation to DHDCPD under continuous process conditions even at high conversion values (up to 96 %) and with an excess of hydrogen, whereas the catalyst obtained from an aqueous solution of complex 1 showed 98 % total hydrogenation product (THDCPD) selectivity. The catalysts based on all the complexes 1–3 were successfully used in reactions of nitrobenzene (NB) reduction to aniline (AN) and in the reductive alkylation of nitrobenzene with isobutanol (i-BAN) 100 % yields of aniline and N-isobutylaniline were obtained at LHSV 0.16 h−1.