Photocatalytic Production of Ethanolamines and Ethylenediamines from Bio-Polyols over a Cu/TiO2 Catalyst.

Valorization of biomass-derived polyols into high-value-added ethanolamines and ethylenediamines is highly attractive. Herein, we report a one-step photocatalytic protocol to convert bio-polyols into a 60 % yield of ethanolamines and ethylenediamines over a multifunctional Cu/TiO2 catalyst. This catalyst enables a tandem process of photocatalytic polyol C-C bond cleavage and reductive amination in one pot at room temperature, and also allows the selective conversion of various bio-polyols and amines. Mechanistic studies revealed that photogenerated holes in TiO2 promote the retro-aldol C-C bond cleavage or oxidative dehydrogenation of polyols, and photogenerated electrons accumulate on small-sized Cu clusters, which facilitate the reductive amination via hydrogen transfer and prevent the H2 generation. This strategy provides new opportunities for the development of non-noble metal photocatalysts and methods of biomass conversion under mild conditions. © 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.

Citation

Meijiang Liu, Hongji Li, Jian Zhang, Huifang Liu, Feng Wang. Photocatalytic Production of Ethanolamines and Ethylenediamines from Bio-Polyols over a Cu/TiO2 Catalyst. Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English). 2024 Jan 25;63(5):e202315795

PMID: 38065838

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