Green valorisation of biowastes – electrochemical “one-pot” reductive amination of furfural on a graphite electrode in water

Abstract

A new way of reductive amination of furfural (extracted from lignocellulosic biowastes) is presented, using an electrochemical approach, where in situ formed imines are directly reduced on a carbon electrode in basic buffers to (furyl)-substituted vicinal diamines identified by NMR spectroscopy. This is a “one-pot” process, avoiding isolation of intermediates, without the use of organic solvents and metal catalysts.