Selective Transformations of Triglycerides into Fatty Amines, Amides, and Nitriles by using Heterogeneous Catalysis

The use of triglycerides as an important class of biomass is an effective strategy to realize a more sustainable society. Herein, three heterogeneous catalytic methods are reported for the selective one-pot transformation of triglycerides into value-added chemicals: i) the reductive amination of triglycerides into fatty amines with aqueous NH3 under H-2 promoted by ZrO2-supported Pt clusters; ii) the amidation of triglycerides under gaseous NH3 catalyzed by high-silica H-beta (H beta) zeolite at 180 degrees C; iii) the H beta-promoted synthesis of nitriles from triglycerides and gaseous NH3 at 220 degrees C. These methods are widely applicable to the transformation of various triglycerides (C-4-C-18 skeletons) into the corresponding amines, amides, and nitriles.