Catalytic Cascade for Biomass Valorisation: Coupled Hydrogen Transfer Initiated Dehydration and Self-Aldol Condensation for the Synthesis of 2-methyl-pent-2-enal from 1,3-propanediol

Abstract

A one-pot, one-step protocol combining hydrogen transfer initiated dehydration (HTID) of 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO), catalysed by [Cp*IrCl2(NHC)] (Cp* = pentamethylcyclopentadienyl; NHC = carbene ligand) complexes (1-5H and 1-3F), and self-aldol condensation (SAC) of propanal (2), allowed selective production of C6 aldehyde 2-methyl-pent-2-enal (3), in ionic liquids with high substrate conversion. This shows, for the first time, the conversion of 1,3-propanediol to C6 aldehydes in one pot via a catalytic hydrogen borrowing methodology. The Ir(III) pre-catalysts and the ionic liquids were recyclable. C6 aldehyde 2-methyl-pent-2-enal could also be selectively produced in the presence of water and in neat 1,3-PDO. The efficient, selective delivery of a value-added chemical from 1,3-PDO, a major product of many whole-cell bacterial fermentation processes, shows that the combination of chemo-catalytic processing of the chemical platform via Cp*IrCl2(NHC)-catalysed HTID/SAC with bio-catalysis has the potential to allow direct valorisation of the bio-renewable feedstocks, such as waste glycerol and sugars, into valuable chemicals.