Molybdenum Carbide Catalysts for Chemoselective Transfer Hydrogenation of Nitroarenes

Abstract

The catalytic transfer hydrogenation of nitroarenes to corresponding amines is an important organic synthesis method in the process of industrial production. Molybdenum carbide catalysts were prepared by temperature-programmed reduction of the as-prepared molybdenum trioxide in the flowing 20% CH4/H2 and exhibited excellent catalytic performance for the reduction of nitroarenes under mild conditions. In spite of the presence of halogens and reducible substituents, the catalysts also deliver high chemoselectivity (>99%) for transformation nitroarenes to corresponding amines. The Cycling tests of molybdenum carbide catalysts demonstrated that it is highly stable and could easily be recovered by simple filtration for at least eight recycling reactions without decrease of catalytic activity and chemoselectivity.