Tellurium-catalyzed Carbonylation of Amines with Carbon Monoxide

Article abstract of DOI:10.1246/bcsj.54.1460

Carbonylation of amines with carbon monoxide was catalyzed by tellurium to produce corresponding urea derivatives, formamides, and molecular hydrogen.The urea formation proceeds according to the equation; 2RNH2+CO->(RNH)2CO+H2.The successful achievement of the catalytic formation of urea derivatives would be due to the thermal instability of hydrogen telluride which decomposes to generate elemental tellurium and hydrogen.The formation of formamides and hydrogen was found to be suppressed by the addition of nitrobenzene which did not affect the urea formation.Effects of the reaction time, temperature, pressure of carbon monoxide, and additives on this carbonylation reaction are discussed.