Intermetallic Compounds for the Chemoselective Hydrogenation of α,β-Unsaturated Aldehydes

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Marc Armbrüster
• Subject Area: Solid State and Surface Chemistry, Material Synthesis
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 468939127

The selective hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes to allylic alcohols is a key step in the industrial production of fine chemicals, and is also one of the most widely studied chemoselective hydrogenation reactions in fundamental research. This Sino-German joint project aims to achieve highly active and chemoselective intermetallic catalysts for the gas- and liquid-phase hydrogenation of the α,β-unsaturated crotonaldehyde. We propose to establish the intrinsic stabilities and catalytic properties of bulk intermetallic compounds and subsequently transfer the latter to nanostructured, supported intermetallic catalysts. Using the same intermetallic compounds in an unsupported and supported state enables us to study support influences, and thus to establish reliable structure-property relationships. The experimental studies are corroborated by in situ/operando vibrational spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations. This will bring us in the situation to set up the reaction mechanism and compare it to the experimentally obtained reaction kinetics of the crotonaldehyde hydrogenation. The implementation of the joint project will lay the scientific basis on the controllable synthesis of new intermetallic catalysts and their application in the heterogeneously catalyzed chemoselective hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes to allylic alcohols.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: China
• Partner Organisation: National Natural Science Foundation of China
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Changhai Liang