Fine Control of TiO2- and Pt/TiO2-Catalyzed Sequential Photoreduction and Reductive N-Alkylation of Nitroarenes by Connecting Different Types of Microflow Reactors

Abstract

Abstract Eleven microflow reactors (MCRs) with different microchannel structures and catalytic activities were easily fabricated using glass plates with TiO2 and Pt/TiO2 thin films prepared by a sputtering method. Connecting different types of MCRs enabled the sequential photoreduction and reductive N-alkylation of p-nitrotoluene, affording the corresponding amine, imine, N-alkyl amine, and N,N-dialkyl amine in 89%, 90%, 83%, and 78% yields, respectively. The selective photoreduction of nitroarenes and hydrogenation of the styrene analogs were investigated using the MCRs.