Selective Hydrogenation of Nitriles to Primary Amines by using a Cobalt Phosphine Catalyst

A general procedure for the catalytic hydrogenation of nitriles to primary amines by using a non-noble metal-based system is presented. Co(acac)(3) in combination with tris[2-(dicyclohexylphosphino) ethyl] phosphine efficiently catalyzes the selective hydrogenation of a wide range of (hetero) aromatic and aliphatic nitriles to give the corresponding amines.