General And Chemoselective Copper Oxide Catalysts For Hydrogenation Reactions

Copper oxide catalysts have been prepared by pyrolysis of copper acetate on aluminum oxide. The material resulting from pyrolysis at 800 degrees C allows for catalytic hydrogenations at low temperature of a variety of unsaturated compounds such as quinolines, alkynes, ketones, imines, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as well as nitroarenes with good activity and selectivity.