Naked Iridium(IV) Oxide Nanoparticles as Expedient and Robust Catalysts for Hydrogenation of Nitrogen Heterocycles: Remarkable Vicinal Substitution Effect and Recyclability

Iridium( IV) oxide nanoparticles were facilely prepared from iridium trichloride hydrate and sodium hydroxide by a ball-milling reaction at room temperature. The naked iridium nanocatalyst showed high stability and activity for the hydrogenation of a series of nitrogen heterocycles, for the first time, under a hydrogen balloon at room temperature with a selectivity of higher than 99%. Besides, an unprecedented substitution-dependent effect was discovered, where substrates with vicinal substituents on 2-, 3-, or 8-positions exhibited distinctly higher reaction rates than unsubstituted or remote substituted ones. Extraordinary recyclability was discovered in the hydrogenation of 2-methylquinoline for 30 runs without loss of activity.