Premium
Sustainable Catalytic Synthesis for a Bio‐Based Alternative to the Reach‐Restricted N ‐Methyl‐2‐Pyrrolidone
Author(s) -
Barbaro Pierluigi,
Liguori Francesca,
Oldani Claudio,
MorenoMarrodán Carmen
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
advanced sustainable systems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.499
H-Index - 24
ISSN - 2366-7486
DOI - 10.1002/adsu.201900117
Subject(s) - bifunctional , catalysis , reductive amination , chemistry , solvent , brønsted–lowry acid–base theory , bifunctional catalyst , amination , selectivity , organic chemistry , biomass (ecology) , oceanography , geology
The catalytic conversion of biomass and its derivatives into valuable chemicals requires efficient, energy saving, and sustainable technologies. In this work, a variety of bifunctional catalysts are prepared combining immobilized metal nanoparticles and acid solid materials featuring Lewis or Brønsted acidity. The catalytic systems are tested in the reductive amination of bio‐derived levulinates with primary amines, using hydrogen as clean reducing agent, to obtain N ‐substituted‐5‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidones, which are proposed as substitutes for the widely used, REACH‐restricted solvent N ‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone. The overall process is studied in depth to identify the best combination of metal and acid functionalities to be used in one‐pot and one stage. Pt immobilized onto the Brønsted solid acid Aquivion is shown to be the most efficient catalyst, with a productivity of N ‐heptyl‐5‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone of 7.9 mmolg cat −1 h −1 reached at full conversion and 98.6% selectivity, under 120 °C, 4 bar H 2 pressure and solvent‐free conditions.