Reductive Transformations of Carboxylic Acids and Esters over Heterogeneous Pt-Mo Catalysts

Abstract

Carboxylic acids and esters, which are derived from naturally abundant fats, oils, or sugars, possess high oxidation states. Therefore, the catalytic reduction of carboxylic acids and esters plays a crucial role in their conversion into valuable chemical products. Considering operational advantages such as recovery and reusability of catalysts, the use of heterogeneous catalysts is essential for industrial applications. So far, significant efforts have been devoted to the development of heterogeneous catalysts for the hydrogenation of carboxylic acids and esters to alcohols. However, the development of catalysts that produce other value-added compounds remains an significant challenge. In this account paper, we summarize our recent works regarding the development of highly active heterogeneous Pt-Mo catalysts for the reductive transformations of carboxylic acids and esters: i) the direct hydrodeoxygenation of esters to unsymmetric ethers, ii) the reductive amination of carboxylic acids to alkylamines, and iii) the reductive amination of triglycerides to fatty amines. The Pt-Mo catalysts offer simple and clean approaches for reductive transformations of carboxylic acids and esters, contributing to future sustainable chemical processes.

Graphical Abstract