A kinetic investigation into the removal of carbobenzyloxy group from protected amines via hydrogenolysis reaction

Hydrogenolysis of a carbobenzyloxy group (CBz) was studied utilizing molecular hydrogen in the presence of carbon-supported palladium catalyst. It was demonstrated that the kinetics of the reaction are greatly influenced by the presence of the CO2 by-product. It was found out that the presence of CO2 determines whether the reaction is first or zero order since it causes deactivation of the catalyst via inhibition. The effect of potassium carbonate (K2CO3) and triethylamine (TEA) as additives was investigated. A considerable solvent effect was also observed that may be explained by the variation of dispersion of the catalyst from one solvent to another.