Amination of n‐hexanol to n‐hexylamine over RuNi bimetallic catalyst

BACKGROUNDThe synthesis of fatty amines via fatty alcohol amination offers a promising avenue for environmentally friendly production, particularly when compared with the methods employing hydrocyanic acid which often involve significant emissions.RESULTThis study explores the synthesis of n‐hexylamine through one‐step amination of n‐hexanol utilizing a series of Ru‐doped Ni catalysts supported over γ‐Al2O3, achieving 61% n‐hexanol yield, 35% dihylamine yield and 3.5% trihylamine yield at the n‐hexanol conversion of 99%.CONCLUSIONThe characterization results of the catalysts revealed a significant interaction between ruthenium and nickel in the bimetallic catalysts, leading to the enhanced reducibility of Ni species and improved metal dispersion. Moreover, ruthenium species were found to play an important role in the dissociation of NH3 into NHx (x = 1, 2), thereby significantly improving the dehydrogenation process of n‐hexanol at Ni sites. The synergistic effect between the two kinds of metal sites emerges as crucial factor for the boosted alcohols amination process. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).