MOF-derived cobalt nanoparticles catalyze a general synthesis of amines

A MOF sets the stage to make amines Reductive amination is a common method that chemists use to make carbon-nitrogen bonds. The reaction, which often requires precious metal catalysts, couples ammonia or other amines with carbonyl compounds and then with hydrogen. Jagadeesh et al. report a class of nonprecious cobalt nanoparticles that catalyze this reaction across a very broad range of substrates, including complex molecules of pharmaceutical interest (see the Perspective by Chen and Xu). The cobalt was first embedded in a metal-organic framework (MOF), which, upon heating, transformed into a graphitic shell. The catalyst could be conveniently separated from products and recycled up to six times. Science , this issue p. 326 ; see also p. 304