Facile one-pot tandem reductive amination of aldehydes from nitroarenes over a hierarchical ZSM-5 zeolite containing palladium nanoparticles

Abstract

In the present work, palladium nanoparticles supported on hierarchical ZSM-5 zeolite (Pd/H-hierarchical ZSM-5) were evaluated as a novel acid–metal bi-functional heterogeneous catalyst for direct one-pot reductive amination of nitroarenes, using aldehyde in the presence of NaBH₄ and water as a mild reducing agent and green solvent, respectively. The structural and morphological properties of the prepared catalyst were investigated by XRD, BET, FT-IR, NH₃-TPD, SEM, TEM, XPS, DRS-UV, and ICP-AES techniques. The reaction was carried out at room temperature, in a short reaction time, without producing any by-products. The stability of the catalyst was good, and it could be reused six times without much loss of activity in the reductive amination reaction.