Selective deoxygenation of organic compounds is an important reaction in organic synthesis and biological chemistry. Recently, we have discovered that inorganic material-supported gold nanoparticles showed the high catalytic activity toward chemoselective deoxygenation of epoxides to alkenes using alcohols, CO/H2O or H2 as green reductants.[1] The deoxygenation efficiently proceeded under mild reaction conditions with over 99% selectivities for alkenes, and the turnover number was three orders of magnitude larger than those of previous reports. The gold catalyst was also applicable to the deoxygenation of amides, sufoxides and N-oxides.[2] Moreover, the gold catalyst was reusable with maintaining its high efficiency. This unique catalysis was obtained from the concerted effect between gold nanoparticles and inorganic supports.[1] K. Kaneda et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2010, 49, 5545; Chem. Eur. J. 2010, 16, 11818; Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2011, 50, 2986, [2] K. Kaneda et al., Chem. Eur. J. 2011, 17, 1768.

Highly selective reduction of various oxygen-containing organic compounds using supported gold nanoparticle catalysts

242nd National Meeting (2011)

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