Abstract:
Hydrogenations are an important class of reactions, yet obtaining high selectivity remains challenging for some of these. A prime example is the chemoselective hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes over platinum-based catalysts. A great example of these is the hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde, a highly useful molecule. Its hydrogenation often results in a mixture of the C=C hydrogenated product (hydrocinnamaldehyde), the C=O hydrogenated product (cinnamyl alcohol), and the fully hydrogenated product (hydrocinnamyl alcohol). Until now there have only been a few Pt-based catalysts reported that are capable of selectively hydrogenating cinnamaldehyde to hydrocinnamaldehyde, and these are often quite complex.