Highly Efficient Thiolate-Based Ionic Liquid Catalysts for Reduction of CO: Selective N-Functionalization of Amines to Form N-Formamides and N-Methylamines.

Developing efficient catalysts to convert CO into value-added chemicals is valuable for reducing carbon emissions. Herein, a kind of novel thiolate-based ionic liquid with sulfur as the active site was designed and synthesized, which served as highly efficient catalyst for the reductive N-functionalization of CO by amines and hydrosilane. By adjusting the CO pressure, various N-formamides and N-methylamines were selectively obtained in high yields.

Synthesis of Asymmetric Urea Derivatives from COS and Amines: Substrate Selection, Scope Studies, and Mechanism Investigation.

A series of asymmetric ureas were synthesized by a one-pot reaction of amines and carbonyl sulfide (COS) under catalyst-free conditions. The highly selective synthesis of asymmetric urea was successfully achieved by the use of weakly nucleophilic aromatic amines and highly nucleophilic secondary aliphatic amines. Moreover, a reaction mechanism was proposed based on the detailed NMR and FTIR study.