Nanorod Manganese Oxide as an Efficient Heterogeneous Catalyst for Hydration of Nitriles into Amides

Hydration of nitriles has been practically used for the production of amides, wherein the homogeneous catalysts including acids/bases and metal complexes are generally employed. Here, we report that nanorod manganese oxide (NR-MnO2) as a sustainable and low-cost heterogeneous catalyst is highly active and selective for the hydration of aromatic, heterocyclic, and aliphatic nitriles into the corresponding amides. The catalytic properties of NR-MnO2 significantly outperform that of commercial Pd/C and Ru/C catalysts and even the state-of-the-art homogeneous catalysts in the literature. In the continuous recycling tests, the NR-MnO2 catalyst exhibited excellent durability with negligible deactivation, which offers a good opportunity for practical production of these chemicals in the future.