Additive-Free Cobalt-Catalyzed Hydrogenation of Esters to Alcohols

作者：Jing Yuwen; Chakraborty Sumit; Brennessel William W; Jones William D^*

来源：ACS Catalysis, 2017, 7(5): 3735-3740.

DOI：10.1021/acscatal.7b00623

• cobalt
• hydrogenation
• esters
• alcohols
• catalysis

Here, we report an additive-free catalytic system for hydrogenation of carboxylic acid esters to alcohols with a well-defined cobalt pincer catalyst precursor. Various substrates, including methyl, ethyl, and benzyl esters, have been evaluated under hydrogenation conditions; however, methyl esters have low reactivity compared to those of the corresponding ethyl and benzyl esters. The biomass-derived gamma-valerolactone successfully formed 1,4-pentanediol with a turnover number of 3890 with this system. Metal ligand cooperativity is probed with the related [PN(Me)P] derivative of the cobalt catalyst, and the results suggest a nonbifunctional hydrogenation mechanism.

• 出版日期2017-5