Synlett 2020; 31(06): 581-586
DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1610751
cluster
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

FAST Hydrogenations as a Continuous Platform for Green Aromatic Nitroreductions

MD Taifur Rahman
a   Almac Sciences Ltd., 20 Seagoe Industrial Estate, Craigavon, BT63 5QD, UK   Email: megan.smyth@almacgroup.com
b   Theoretical and Applied Catalysis Research Cluster, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen’s University Belfast, David Keir Building, Stranmillis Road, Belfast, BT9 5AG, UK   Email: h.manyar@qub.ac.uk
,
Scott Wharry
a   Almac Sciences Ltd., 20 Seagoe Industrial Estate, Craigavon, BT63 5QD, UK   Email: megan.smyth@almacgroup.com
,
Megan Smyth
a   Almac Sciences Ltd., 20 Seagoe Industrial Estate, Craigavon, BT63 5QD, UK   Email: megan.smyth@almacgroup.com
,
Haresh Manyar
b   Theoretical and Applied Catalysis Research Cluster, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen’s University Belfast, David Keir Building, Stranmillis Road, Belfast, BT9 5AG, UK   Email: h.manyar@qub.ac.uk
,
Thomas S. Moody
a   Almac Sciences Ltd., 20 Seagoe Industrial Estate, Craigavon, BT63 5QD, UK   Email: megan.smyth@almacgroup.com
c   Arran Chemical Company, Unit 1 Monksland Industrial Estate, Athlone, Co. Roscommon, Ireland
› Author Affiliations
The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from Innovate UK under the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) programme for KTP Associate funding for MDTR for the project ‘Flow-mediated Amine Synthesis Technology Platform’.
Further Information

Publication History

Received: 03 December 2019

Accepted after revision: 27 January 2020

Publication Date:
13 February 2020 (online)


Zoom Image

Published as part of the ISySyCat2019 Special Issue

Abstract

A continuous-flow packed-bed catalytic reactor has been developed for hydrogenation of aromatic nitrobenzoic acids in water to produce the corresponding anilines. These hydrogenations are green, more efficient, less consumptive, and safer than the conventional ­reduction process. Various industrially important aromatic amines have been produced in excellent yields and with high throughput. The optimized continuous-flow reduction process produces no detectable genotoxic intermediates, unlike the corresponding batch reduction. The reactor is modular in design and can be scaled up to produce several kilograms of product per day without extensive redesign.

Supporting Information