Copper oxide nano particles: An efficient reductive alkylation of amines

A. Srivani*, P. Aparna, K. Sandhya

Department of chemistry, TSWRDC[W] Mahendrahills

Abstract
Copper oxide nano particles were reported as a highly effective catalyst for one pot
alkylation of amines. The catalysts are characterized by X-ray diffraction, FT-IR and UV-VIS
spectroscopy. The characterization results support the formation of copper oxide nanoparticles.
This catalyst is facile and environmentally benign for N-alkylation of carbonyl compounds with
amines under hydrogen atmosphere. A variety of secondary and tertiary amines can be
synthesized over this catalyst in excellent yields under mild reaction conditions.
Introduction
Alkylation amines, where the reaction of amines with aldehydes and ketones in the
presence of a reducing agent is one of the widely used reactions in organic synthesis. Amines
and their derivatives are highly versatile building blocks for various organic substrates and are
essential precursors to a variety of biologically active compounds, such as pharmaceuticals1 and
agrochemicals. The Alkylation amines or reductive amination reaction proceeds in two synthetic
methods. One is the direct reductive amination, when the carbonyl compound and the amine are
mixed with the proper reducing agent without prior formation of the intermediate imine. The
other one is a stepwise or indirect reaction, in which the first step formation of the intermediate
imine and followed by reduction of imine into higher alkylated amine by using a suitable hydride
source.

Results and discussion

XRD spectroscopy
The XRD spectra of copper oxide nanoparticles shown
in the figure, the peak positions with 2θ values of 29.4°, 36.8°,
42.1°, 61.9° and 77.6°, which are confirms crystalline cubic phase
with a cuprite structure the powder Cu2O, while the peaks at 32.8°,
35,9°, 39.1°, 46.3°, 49.1°, 52.9°, 58.7°, 66.6°, 68.3°, 72.6°and 75.5°,
Which are matched with the values of monoclinic phase CuO
Reported in the literature. Therefore, the formation of both Cu2O
and CuO nanocrystals in the sample was confirmed by the above
XRD studies.