Work

Selective Hydrogenation of Formamide to Methanol Over Supported Platinum Catalysts

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT The rising global energy demand, driven by population and economic growth, continues to be met largely by fossil fuels. Consequently, atmospheric CO 2 concentration has increased from ∼280 ppm in the pre‐industrial era to over 430 ppm today, motivating integrated capture‐and‐conversion strategies that valorize CO 2 as a feedstock. Amines are widely employed for post‐combustion CO 2 capture due to their low cost, rapid kinetics, and reversible carbamate formation. These amine–CO 2 adducts can be hydrogenated to formamides and subsequently to methanol under mild conditions (<150°C), regenerating the amine. However, selective C─N bond cleavage during the formamide hydrogenation for efficient release of methanol without sorbent deactivation remains a key challenge. Here, we demonstrate that 1 wt% Pt supported on TiO 2 (commercial P25) catalyzes the conversion of 4‐formylmorpholine to methanol with up to 62% yield and 95% selectivity at 150°C. In situ characterizations and DFT computations reveal that strong interaction between dispersed Pt and the support promotes selective C─N hydrogenolysis. The catalyst also exhibits excellent stability. These findings establish a robust heterogeneous platform for combined CO 2 capture and methanol synthesis, highlighting the critical role of support‐induced electronic effects in controlling bond scission.

Source: Angewandte Chemie International Edition

DOI: 10.1002/anie.202522476