A Shortcut Route to Close Nitrogen Cycle: Bio-Based Amines Production via Selective Deoxygenation of Chitin Monomers over Ru/C in Acidic Solutions

Chitin, a long-chain polymer of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (NAG) and the most abundant natural nitrogen-containing organic material in the world, is far under-utilized than other biomass resources. Herein, we demonstrate a highly efficient deoxygenation process to convert chitin monomer, i.e., NAG, into various amines, which are the ubiquitous platform chemicals in chemical industry. In the presence of H₂ and Ru/C catalyst, the oxygen atoms in the glucosamine molecules are removed in the form of H₂O and/or CO/CO₂, whereas CO is hydrogenated to CH₄. By optimizing the reaction conditions, ∼50% yield of various amines was obtained via the selective deoxygenation of NAG. The reaction mechanism has been proposed. These findings not only promote shell biorefinery in green chemistry and fishery industry but also provide chemicals for material science, resulting in expanding cooperation in new areas such as clean energy, energy conservation, environment protection, and infrastructure.