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Aminomethylhydroxymethylfuran derivatives are well known compounds which are used in the pharmaceutical industry. Reductive amination of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) derived from available non-edible lignocellulosic biomass is an attractive method for the synthesis of this class of compounds. In the present study, the synthesis of N-substituted 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furfuryl amines and 5-(acetoxymethyl)-2-furfuryl amines was performed by two-step process, which includes the condensation of furanic aldehydes (HMF and 5-acetoxymethylfurfural) with primary amines in methanol on the first step and the reduction of obtained imines with hydrogen in a flow reactor over CuAlO x catalyst derived from layered double hydroxide on the second step. This process does not require isolation and purification of intermediate imines and can be used to synthesize a number of aminomethylhydroxymethylfurans in good to excellent yield.

BACKGROUND Secondary amines are important intermediates in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and other valuable chemicals. Hence, there is a continuing interest in cost‐effective and environmentally friendly methods for producing these compounds. Reductive amination of aldehydes or ketones with primary amines over heterogeneous metal catalysts is an attractive approach due to the use of inexpensive and environmentally benign molecular hydrogen as a reducing agent. RESULTS: Various secondary amines were obtained by two‐step reductive amination of benzaldehyde derivatives and furfural with primary amines. The condensation of aromatic aldehydes with amines at room temperature in low water methanol gives imines, which are then hydrogenated in a flow reactor over CuAlOx catalyst derived from layered double hydroxide. This process does not require isolation and purification of intermediate imines and can be utilized to obtain several secondary amines in good to excellent yield. The time‐dependent study showed that CuAlOx catalyst demonstrates excellent stability in imine hydrogenation. CONCLUSION: An environmentally friendly procedure has been developed for the synthesis of secondary amines through a reductive amination of aromatic aldehydes with primary amines over Cu‐based catalyst. This procedure presents a novel way for the sustainable production of secondary amines. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Levulinic acid and its esters (e.g., ethyl levulinate, EL) are platform chemicals derived from biomass feedstocks that can be converted to a variety of valuable compounds. Reductive amination of levulinates with primary amines and H2 over heterogeneous catalysts is an attractive method for the synthesis of N-alkyl-5-methyl-2-pyrrolidones, which are an environmentally friendly alternative to the common solvent N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP). In the present work, the catalytic properties of the different nickel phosphide catalysts supported on SiO2 and Al2O3 were studied in a reductive amination of EL with n-hexylamine to N-hexyl-5-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (HMP) in a flow reactor. The influence of the phosphorus precursor, reduction temperature, reactant ratio, and addition of acidic diluters on the catalyst performance was investigated. The Ni2P/SiO2 catalyst prepared using (NH4)2HPO4 and reduced at 600 °C provides the highest HMP yield, which reaches 98%. Although the presence of acid sites and a sufficient hydrogenating ability are important factors determining the pyrrolidone yield, the selectivity also depends on the specific features of EL adsorption on active catalytic sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]