Development of Iron‐Based Single Atom Materials for General and Efficient Synthesis of Amines

Abstract

Heterogeneous catalysts with highly active and at the same time stable isolated metal sites constitute a key factor for the advancement of sustainable and cost‐effective chemical synthesis. In particular, the development of more practical, and durable iron‐based materials is of central interest for organic synthesis, especially for the preparation of chemical products related to life science applications. Here, we report the preparation of Fe‐single atom catalysts (Fe‐SACs) entrapped in N‐doped mesoporous carbon support with unprecedented potential in the preparation of different kinds of amines. The synthetic protocol of Fe‐SACs is based on primary pyrolysis of Fe‐nitrogen complexes on SiO2 and subsequent removal of silica resulting in the formation of unique mesoporous N‐doped carbon support with the pore size controlled by the size of the original silica nanoparticles. The resulting stable and reusable Fe‐SACs allow for the reductive amination of a broad range of aldehydes and ketones with ammonia and amines to produce diverse primary, secondary, and tertiary amines including N‐methylated products as well as drugs, agrochemicals, and other biomolecules (amino acid esters and amides) utilizing green hydrogen.