Biochar-supported Cu catalyst for low-temperature base-free oxidative N-formylation of amines with paraformaldehyde in green solvent.

A novel cellulose-biochar-supported copper catalyst enables base-free oxidative N-formylation of amines with paraformaldehyde in green H2O solvent at 50 °C. This green protocol efficiently converts diverse amines into formamides, including pharmaceutical intermediates, via a radical mechanism co-mediated by ˙OH and ˙OOH species.