<i>In-Situ</i>-Generated Active Hf-hydride in Zeolites for the Tandem N-Alkylation of Amines with Benzyl Alcohol

In this work, we have studied the catalytic activity of different silicates (MFI, MCM-41, and Beta) containing Lewis acid sites (including Sn, Ti, Zr, and Hf) for the tandem N-alkylation reaction of aniline with benzyl alcohol. The Hf- and Zr-Beta were the most active catalysts for this transformation, showing in both cases selectivities toward the corresponding N-benzylaniline higher than 97%. FTIR and DFT analyses confirm that the active sites in the Hf-Beta catalyst for this process are the open sites where one of the four Hf–O bonds is hydrolyzed. Moreover, the amount of these active species could be notoriously increased with previous thermal treatment of the Lewis acid zeolite with benzyl alcohol. Isotopically labeled experiments and theoretical mechanistic studies reveal that the N-alkylation reaction occurs through a hydrogen borrowing pathway, in which in situ Hf-hydride species were generated. Finally, the Hf-Beta zeolite was reused several times in the N-alkylation reaction without any appreciable deactivation detected. This catalytic system could be expanded to a variety of amines, including aliphatic and biomass-derived amines.