Efficient synthesis of amides and esters from alcohols under aerobic ambient conditions catalyzed by a Au/mesoporous Al₂O₃ nanocatalyst

An efficient heterogeneous Au/mesoporous alumina nanocatalyst has been successfully developed for the synthesis of amides and esters from simple building blocks of readily available alcohols and amines. The processes were simple and were performed at room temperature and atmospheric pressure of O₂ to form the desired products with up to 97% isolated yield. The ability of Au/mesoporous alumina to catalyze these reactions under ambient conditions further enhances the sustainability of these chemical processes. Furthermore, the nanocatalyst was stable to air and water and could be recovered and reused easily. The enhanced catalytic activity of Au/mesoporous alumina might be attributed to the presence of negatively charged Au nanoparticles that could promote oxidation processes as well as the stability of the mesoporous alumina support calcined at a high temperature of 800°C. Gold for green: Gold nanoparticles supported on mesoporous alumina catalyze the efficient synthesis of amides and esters from simple building blocks of readily available alcohols and amines under ambient aerobic reaction conditions (R¹=aryl, alkyl, and R²=H, alkyl).