Atomically Dispersed Ru on Manganese Oxide Catalyst Boosts Oxidative Cyanation

There is a strong incentive for environmentally benign and sustainable production of organic nitriles to avoid the use of toxic cyanides. Here we report that manganese oxide nanorod-supported single-site Ru catalysts are active, selective, and stable for oxidative cyanation of various alcohols to give the corresponding nitriles with molecular oxygen and ammonia as the reactants. The very low amount of Ru (0.1 wt %) with atomic dispersion boosts the catalytic performance of manganese oxides. Experimental and theoretical results show how the Ru sites enhance the ammonia resistance of the catalyst, bolstering its performance in alcohol dehydrogenation and oxygen activation, the key steps in the oxidative cyanation. This investigation demonstrates the high efficiency of a single-site Ru catalyst for nitrile production.