Aerobic Activation of C-H Bond in Amines Over a Nanorod Manganese Oxide Catalyst

The development of heterogeneous catalysts for the synthesis of pharmaceutically relevant compounds is always important for chemistry research. Here, we report a selective aerobic oxidation of aromatic and aliphatic amines to corresponding amides over a nanorod manganese oxide (NR-MnOx) catalyst. The kinetic studies reveal that the NR-MnOx catalyzed amine-to-amide reaction proceeds the oxidative dehydrogenation of the amines into nitriles, followed by hydrolysis of nitrile into amides. The NR-MnOx exhibits fast kinetics and high selectivities in these steps, as well as hinders the by-product formation. More importantly, the NR-MnOx catalyst is stable and reusable in the continuous recycle tests with water as a sole by-product, exhibiting superior sustainability and significant advancement to outperform the traditional amide production route in acidic or basic media with toxic by-products.