Iron-Based Catalysts for the Hydrogenation of Esters to Alcohols

Hydrogenation of
esters is vital to the chemical industry for the
production of alcohols, especially fatty alcohols that find broad
applications in consumer products. Current technologies for ester
hydrogenation rely on either heterogeneous catalysts operating under
extreme temperatures and pressures or homogeneous catalysts containing
precious metals such as ruthenium and osmium. Here, we report the
hydrogenation of esters under relatively mild conditions by employing
an iron-based catalyst bearing a PNP-pincer ligand. This catalytic
system is also effective for the conversion of coconut oil derived
fatty acid methyl esters to detergent alcohols without adding any
solvent.