Tailoring the surface properties of supported copper catalysts to address GVL amination selectivity

The rich functionalities of platform molecules derived from the lignocellulosic deconstruction stream prompt their upgrading into valuable molecules and in particular into N-containing ones. Heterogeneous copper catalysts properly tailored with the right choice of the support, can effectively promote the amination of γ-valerolactone into the corresponding N-alkyl-pyrrolidinone or N-alkyl-pyrrolidines. The acidic properties and the copper phase morphology and dispersion are critical aspects to be investigated to address the reaction selectivity. The proposed transformation allows to obtain nitrogen derivatives that can find application as green solvents or as scaffolds for the chemical synthesis.