Development of Silicon Carbide-Supported Palladium Catalysts and Their Application as Semihydrogenation Catalysts for Alkynes under Batch- and Continuous-Flow Conditions

Abstract

Silicon carbide (SiC)-supported palladium (Pd) catalysts [3% Pd/SiC and a 3% Pd-diethylenetriamine (DETA)/SiC complex] for chemoselective hydrogenation under batch- and continuous-flow conditions were developed. The alkyne, alkene, azide, nitro, and benzyloxycarbonyl-protected aromatic amine (N-Cbz) functionalities were chemoselectively reduced in the presence of 3% Pd/SiC. By contrast, benzyl ether, alkyl N-Cbz, epoxide, aromatic chloride, aromatic ketone, and tert-butyldimethylsilyl ether were tolerant to the 3% Pd/SiC-catalyzed hydrogenation. The combined use of 3% Pd/SiC and DETA demonstrated excellent chemoselectivity toward the semihydrogenation of various mono- and disubstituted alkynes under batch- and continuous-flow conditions. Furthermore, compared with the separate use of 3% Pd/SiC and DETA, the newly developed 3% Pd(DETA)/SiC-packed in a cartridge showed higher chemoselectivity toward the continuous-flow semihydrogenation of alkyne over 24 h.

Keywords

• semihydrogenation
• heterogeneous catalysis
• alkynes
• palladium
• silicon carbide