title: Hydrogenations without hydrogen: titania photocatalyzed reductions of maleimides and aldehydes.
abstract: A mild procedure for the reduction of electron-deficient alkenes and carbonyl compounds is described. UVA irradiations of substituted maleimides with dispersions of titania (Aeroxide P25) in methanol/acetonitrile (1:9) solvent under dry anoxic conditions led to hydrogenation and production of the corresponding succinimides. Aromatic and heteroaromatic aldehydes were reduced to primary alcohols in similar titania photocatalyzed reactions. A mechanism is proposed which involves two proton-coupled electron transfers to the substrates at the titania surface.
authors.affiliation: EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, UK. dm53@st-andrews.ac.uk.
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Manley
authors.affiliation: EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, UK. luca.buzzetti01@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Buzzetti
authors.affiliation: EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, UK. acml2394@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: MacKessack-Leitch
authors.affiliation: EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, UK. jcw@st-and.ac.uk.
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Walton
mesh_terms: D000447:Aldehydes / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000737:chemistry*; D006865:Hydrogenation; D008301:Maleimides / Q000737:chemistry*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D000447:Aldehydes; D008301:Maleimides; D006859:Hydrogen; D014025:Titanium