US EPA

4592543 

Journal Article 

Cobalt modified N-doped carbon nanotubes for catalytic C=C bond formation via dehydrogenative coupling of benzyl alcohols and DMSO 

Li, J; Liu, G; Shi, L; Xing, Qi; Li, F 

2017 

Yes 

Green Chemistry
ISSN: 1463-9262
EISSN: 1463-9270 

Royal Society of Chemistry 

19 

24 

5782-5788 

English 

10.1039/c7gc02335a 

WOS:000417756500006 

The development of heterogeneous, cost-effective and environmentally benign catalysts to construct C=C bonds is highly desirable. We report here Co@N-doped carbon nanotubes (Co@NCNT) as a catalyst for a novel synthesis of styryl sulfides via dehydrogenative coupling of benzyl alcohols and DMSO under anaerobic conditions. This reaction maintains high atom efficiency as the C=C bond is formed without the cracking of the C-S bond. We proposed that Co modified N-doped carbon sites are the active sites, different from traditionally believed metal centers for dehydrogenative C-C coupling. Moreover, the Co@NCNT catalyst could be easily separated and recycled for at least six runs. This work opens up a new application of metal-N-C catalysts in C=C bond-forming reactions in synthetic chemistry.