A New Route to Cyclohexanone using H2CO3 as a Molecular Catalytic Ligand to Boost the Thorough Hydrogenation of Nitroarenes over Pd Nanocatalysts

Abstract

AbstractCarbon dioxide has been important in green chemistry, especially in catalytic and chemical engineering applications. While exploring CO2 to produce cyclohexanone for nylon or nylon 66 that is currently produced with low yields using harsh catalytic methods, we made the exciting discovery that carbonic acid, generated from dissolved CO2 in water, was utilized as molecular catalytic ligand to produce cyclohexanone via the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene in aqueous solution that uses Pd catalysts with a total yield higher than 90 %. Importantly, the gaseous nature of catalytic ligand H2CO3 profoundly simplifies post‐catalysis cleanup unlike liquid or solid catalysts. This new green catalysis strategy demonstrated the universality for hydrogenation of aromatic compounds like aniline and N‐methylaniline and could be broadly applicable in other catalytic field like artificial photosynthesis and electrocatalytic organic synthesis.