Electrosynthesis of a nylon-6 precursor from cyclohexanone and nitrite under ambient conditions.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 37236928.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-023-38888-6 and PMC identifier 10219941.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Cyclohexanone oxime, an important nylon-6 precursor, is conventionally synthesized through cyclohexanone-hydroxylamine (NH<sub>2</sub>OH) and cyclohexanone ammoxidation methodologies. These strategies require complicated procedures, high temperatures, noble metal catalysts, and toxic SO<sub>2</sub> or H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> usage. Here, we report a one-step electrochemical strategy to synthesize cyclohexanone oxime from nitrite (NO<sub>2</sub><sup>-</sup>) and cyclohexanone under ambient conditions using a low-cost Cu-S catalyst, avoiding complex procedures, noble metal catalysts and H<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>/H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> usage. This strategy produces 92% yield and 99% selectivity of cyclohexanone oxime, comparable to the industrial route. The reaction undergoes a NO<sub>2</sub><sup>-</sup> → NH<sub>2</sub>OH→oxime reaction pathway. This electrocatalytic strategy is suitable for the production of other oximes, highlighting the methodology universality. The amplified electrolysis experiment and techno-economic analysis confirm its practical potential. This study opens a mild, economical, and sustainable way for the alternative production of cyclohexanone oxime.