Selective and Efficient Iridium Catalyst for the Reductive Amination of Levulinic Acid into Pyrrolidones

Abstract The catalytic reductive amination of levulinic acid (LA) into pyrrolidones with an iridium catalyst using H 2 as hydrogen source is reported. The chemoselective iridium catalyst displayed high efficiency for the synthesis of a variety of N ‐substituted 5‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidones and N ‐arylisoindolinones. N ‐Substituted 5‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone was also evaluated as a biosourced substitute solvent to NMP ( N ‐methylpyrrolidone) in the catalytic arylation of 2‐phenylpyridine.