Reductive Amination of Ketones with Benzylamine Over Gold Supported on Different Oxides

[EN] Reductive amination of cyclohexanone with benzylamine was investigated at 100 °C under 30 bar hydrogen in toluene with five different gold catalysts prepared by deposition–precipitation method and supported on TiO, LaO/TiO, CeO/TiO, LaO and CeO. Size of metallic gold varied in the range of 2.6–3.6 nm. The best catalysts in reductive amination of cyclohexanone with benzylamine were 4 wt% Au/TiO and 4 wt% Au/CeO/TiO giving 72% and 79% yield of the desired amine. The most acidic and basic catalysts were also unselective and exhibited low activity towards imine hydrogenation. The best catalyst 4 wt% Au/CeO/TiO gave in reductive amination of propiophenone 56% selectivity to the corresponding amine at 20% conversion in 5 h. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]
Open access funding provided by Abo Akademi University (ABO). The research is funded from Tomsk Polytechnic University Competitiveness Enhancement Program project VIU-RSCBMT-65/2019.