A team of chemists from Chemnitz University of Technology and the University of Innsbruck has developed a new copper-based catalyst capable of activating and transferring molecular hydrogen at low pressure, enabling reactions previously considered impractical under mild conditions.
Led by Professor Johannes Teichert (Chemnitz) in collaboration with Professor Fabian Dillmann’s group (Innsbruck), the researchers reported their findings in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. The new catalyst consists of two parts: a copper atom responsible for hydrogen activation and an attached iminopyridine group that boosts reactivity. This bifunctional design allows efficient hydrogenation at just 1 bar of hydrogen pressure, eliminating the need for high-pressure equipment.
According to Teichert, traditional copper-based hydrogenation typically required high-pressure setups, limiting accessibility in laboratory environments. The integration of the iminopyridine component has enhanced the copper center’s catalytic efficiency, enabling reactions under significantly milder conditions.
One of the key advancements demonstrated is the catalyst’s ability to convert enamides—typically unreactive structures often found in biologically active compounds—under these conditions. This opens the door to modifying a wide range of drug molecules, which could benefit pharmaceutical research and development.
Beyond synthetic applications, the catalyst design also shows promise for isotope labeling using deuterium instead of hydrogen. Such labeling is critical for tracking biological processes and studying the metabolic pathways of drug compounds.
Teichert noted that the catalyst’s performance exceeded initial expectations. The collaboration combined complementary expertise in copper chemistry and ligand design, with each catalytic unit originating from one of the two institutions. The findings will inform further studies under the EU-funded CATALOOP network, which Teichert currently coordinates.
