Dehalogenation of Aryl Bromides by CuO/ZrO₂ in The Presence of Alcohols as Hydrogen Donors

Abstract

The in‐situ formed metallic Cu particles on the ZrO2 surface were prepared and applied to catalyze dehalogenation of a series of aryl bromides to produce corresponding products in 1‐octanol with a yield of >99 %. The mechanistic investigation suggests that the Cu(0) nanoparticles served as hydrogen transfer active sites for degrading alcohols and adsorbing aryl bromides at the reaction system. The results showed that the catalyst was efficient with high reusability. The alcohol not only served as a reducing agent for CuO but also a safe green hydrogen donor. This methodology could be used as a powerful, low‐cost, and safe technology for reducing halogenated aromatics.