Chinese Journal of Catalysis ›› 2017, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (8): 1382-1389.

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Zinc phthalocyanine as an efficient catalyst for halogen-free synthesis of formamides from amines via carbon dioxide hydrosilylation under mild conditions

Rongchang Luoa, Xiaowei Lina, Jing Lub, Xiantai Zhouc, Hongbing Jia   

  1. a School of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Low-Carbon Chemistry & Energy Conservation of Guangdong Province, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, Guangdong, China;
    b Liede Experimental School of Guangzhou Tianhe High School, Guangzhou 510623, Guangdong, China;
    c School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519000, Guangdong, China
  • Received:2017-05-12 Revised:2017-06-18 Online:2017-08-18 Published:2017-08-04
  • Supported by:

    This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21676306, 21425627), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFA0602900), the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (2016A030310211), and the Characteristic Innovation Project (Natural Science) of Guangdong Colleges and Universities.

Abstract:

The combination of a zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) catalyst and a stoichiometric amount of dimethyl formamide (DMF) provided a simple route to formamide derivatives from amines, CO2, and hydrosilanes under mild conditions. We deduced that formation of an active zinc-hydrogen (Zn-H) species promoted hydride transfer from the hydrosilane to CO2. The cooperative activation of the Lewis acidic ZnPc by strongly polar DMF, led to formation of activated amines and hydrosilanes, which promoted the chemical reduction of CO2. Consequently, the binary ZnPc/DMF catalytic system showed excellent yields and superior chemoselectivity, representing a simple and sustainable pathway for the reductive transformation of CO2 into valuable chemicals as an alternative to conventional halogen-containing process.

Key words: Carbon dioxide, Zinc phthalocyanine, Cooperative effect, N-formylation, Hydrosilanes