Selective Hydrogenation of Benzofurans Using Ruthenium Nanoparticles in Lewis Acid-Modified Ruthenium-Supported Ionic Liquid Phases

Ruthenium nanoparticles immobilized on a Lewis-acid-functionalized supported ionic liquid phase (Ru@SILP-LA) act as effective catalysts for the selective hydrogenation of benzofuran derivatives to dihydrobenzofurans. The individual components (nanoparticles, chlorozincate-based Lewis-acid, ionic liquid, support) of the catalytic system are assembled using a molecular approach to bring metal and acid sites in close contact on the support material, allowing the hydrogenation of O-containing heteroaromatic rings while keeping the aromaticity of C6-rings intact. The chlorozincate species were identified to be predominantly [ZnCl4](2-) anions using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and are in close interaction with the metal nanoparticles. The Ru@SILP-[ZnCl4](2-) catalyst exhibited high activity, selectivity, and stability for the catalytic hydrogenation of a variety of substituted benzofurans, providing easy access to biologically relevant dihydrobenzofuran motifs under continuous flow conditions.