Catalysis plays a decisive role in the advancement of sustainable processes in chemical, pharmaceutical, and agrochemical industries as well as petrochemical, material, and energy technologies. Notably, more than 80% of...
N-containing compounds, nitriles [3][4][5][6][7] and amides [8][9][10][11] constitute valuable fine and bulk chemicals, which are used as precursors and intermediates for essential chemical products, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and biomolecules as well as materials. Noteworthy, nitrile and amide functionalities serve as vital motifs in many life science molecules. [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] Regarding the synthesis of nitriles, simple ones are produced industrially by ammoxidations, which in general are performed in the gas phase at drastic conditions (>300 °C). [12][13][14] Unfortunately, these reactions cannot be applied to the synthesis of structurally challenging nitriles. [12][13][14] On the other hand, the preparation of functionalized nitriles still relies on nucleophilic cyanation reactions of aryl or alkyl halides using toxic and waste-generating reagents such as HCN or metal cyanides. [15,16] For a sustainable point of view, the synthesis of functionalized and structurally diverse nitriles from inexpensive and easily accessible starting materials using green and more abundant reagents is highly beneficial and scientifically interesting. In this regard, the preparation of nitriles from alcohols and ammonia by catalytic aerobic oxidations is considered to be an appropriate and green methodology. [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] In general, the creation of an amide bond is of fundamental importance in organic synthesis, medicine, and biology. [8][9][10][11] Classically, primary amides are prepared by the reaction of activated carboxylic acid derivatives such as chlorides and anhydrides with ammonia or from carboxylic acids with ammonia in presence of coupling agents. [11,[29][30][31] However, these methodologies employ stoichiometric quantities of activating reagents, which generate significant amounts of wastes and are low atom-efficient reactions. Notably, the catalytic synthesis of primary amides starting from alcohols and ammonia in water represents a convenient and green methodology. [18,[32][33][34] Noteworthy, alcohols serve as potential feedstocks to produce various chemicals because they are easily accessible and inexpensive as well as some of them can be obtained from renewable resources. [35][36][37] Hence, alcohols are considered as suitable starting materials for the synthesis of nitriles and amides. [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][32][33][34] The other starting, ammonia is an abundant and green chemical, which is produced in >175 million tons per year scale. [38,39] Noteworthy, this bulk chemical is extensively used to produce urea and other fertilizers as well as various fine and bulk chemicals. [38,39] In order to synthesize nitrilesThe synthesis and functionalization of nitrogen-containing compounds continue to be important due to their wide applications. In particular, the preparation of nitriles and amides applying cost-effective and green methodologies is of central importance because these products represent valuable fine and bulk chemicals ...
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