Pd/ZrO2-Catalyzed Benzonitriles Hydrogenation to Primary Amines under Ambient Conditions

Nitrile hydrogenation produces primary amines, but it typically requires elevated temperatures and/or pressures, even with the use of catalysts. Herein, we report that Pd/ZrO2 catalysts enable this reaction at 25 °C under 1 bar hydrogen. Several characterizations demonstrated that the key factor triggering the reaction was the enhancement of hydrogen dissociation activity via the downsizing of Pd nanoparticles on the ZrO2 support. These findings contribute to the development of green catalytic processes for the synthesis of fine chemicals.