Preparation of reusable copper-based biomass-carbon aerogel catalysts and their application in highly selective reduction of maleimides to succinimides with hydrosilane as a hydrogen source

Selective reduction is one of the most essential and frequently used transformations in organic synthesis. In this work, we developed a novel copper-based biomass-carbon aerogel catalyst (Cu(OTf)2@CAC) as a highly efficient and selective catalyst for maleimide reduction with hydrosilane as a hydrogen source for the first time. A strategy integrating chitin dissolution, nanofibrous regeneration, aerogel construction, and customizable carbonization was designed for the reduction of copper trifluoromethane sulfonate (Cu(OTf)2) to Cu(0) and Cu(I) on the CAC. The Cu(OTf)2@CAC exhibited excellent catalytic activity, chemo-selectivity, and recyclability for selective maleimide reduction to succinimides under mild conditions. Moreover, the Cu(OTf)2@CAC can be reused six times without noticeably losing activity. This work provides a representative and referential approach to achieve efficient catalytic conversion based on the reprocessing and customizable treatment of waste biomass resources.