Hydrogenation of benzoic acid derivatives over Pt/TiO 2 under mild conditions

Hydrogenation of benzoic acid (BA) to cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (CCA) has important industrial and academic significance, however, the electron deficient aromatic ring and catalyst poisoning by carboxyl groups make BA hydrogenation a challenging transformation. Herein, we report that Pt/TiO2 is very effective for BA hydrogenation with, to our knowledge, a record TOF of 4490 h−1 at 80 °C and 50 bar H2, one order higher than previously reported results. Pt/TiO2 catalysts with electron-deficient and electron-enriched Pt sites are obtained by modifying the electron transfer direction between Pt and TiO2. Electron-deficient Pt sites interact with BA more strongly than electron-rich Pt sites, helping the dissociated H of the carboxyl group to participate in BA hydrogenation, thus enhancing its activity. The wide substrate scope, including bi- and tri-benzoic acids, further demonstrates the high efficiency of Pt/TiO2 for hydrogenation of BA derivatives. Dearomative hydrogenation of benzoic acid and its derivatives is challenging to achieve selectively. Here, a highly active Pt/TiO2 catalyst which works in the presence of common catalyst poisons, including bi- and tri-benzoic acids, is described.