A New Supported Rhodium Catalyst for Selective Hydrogenation of Nitriles to Primary Amines

Nitriles are converted to primary amines with high selectivity using a newly developed alumina-supported rhodium catalyst. The high selectivity is obtained without any additives, which are often used to prevent the formation of higher amines. The catalyst is active under mild conditions in various solvents, which makes it specifically suitable for use in pharmaceutical applications or for other substrates that can react with additives like strong acids or bases.