Issue 9, 2017

Multifunctional supported bimetallic catalysts for a cascade reaction with hydrogen auto transfer: synthesis of 4-phenylbutan-2-ones from 4-methoxybenzyl alcohols

Abstract

We report the one-pot tandem synthesis of 4-(4-methoxyphenyl)butan-2-one directly from 4-methoxybenzyl alcohol and acetone using a multifunctional supported AuPd nanoalloy catalyst. This one-pot synthesis involves dehydrogenation, aldol condensation and hydrogenation of C[double bond, length as m-dash]C. In this supported AuPd catalyst, the bimetallic sites catalyse the dehydrogenation and hydrogenation steps and, in combination with the support, catalyse the C–C coupling (aldol) process. This supported bimetallic catalyst is also effective in utilizing hydrogen from the dehydrogenation reaction for the hydrogenation of 4-(4-methoxyphenyl)but-3-en-2-one to 4-(4-methoxyphenyl)butane-2-one via a hydrogen auto transfer route. These multifunctional catalysts were characterised using transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Graphical abstract: Multifunctional supported bimetallic catalysts for a cascade reaction with hydrogen auto transfer: synthesis of 4-phenylbutan-2-ones from 4-methoxybenzyl alcohols

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
29 Jan 2017
Accepted
26 Mar 2017
First published
28 Mar 2017
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Catal. Sci. Technol., 2017,7, 1928-1936

Multifunctional supported bimetallic catalysts for a cascade reaction with hydrogen auto transfer: synthesis of 4-phenylbutan-2-ones from 4-methoxybenzyl alcohols

M. Morad, E. Nowicka, M. Douthwaite, S. Iqbal, P. Miedziak, J. K. Edwards, G. L. Brett, Q. He, D. Morgan, H. Alshammari, D. Bethell, D. W. Knight, M. Sankar and G. J. Hutchings, Catal. Sci. Technol., 2017, 7, 1928 DOI: 10.1039/C7CY00184C

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