Nanoparticle catalysts for nitrile hydration

• Catalytic nitrile hydration reactions with nanoparticle catalysts are reviewed.
• Bifunctional activation is often involved in nanoparticle-catalyzed nitrile hydration.
• Heteroaromatic nitriles can be hydrated with many nanoparticle catalysts.
• Aliphatic nitriles are less reactive with nanoparticle hydration catalysts.

The transition metal-catalyzed hydration of nitriles is an efficient route to amides, which are important synthetic building blocks. Many heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts have been explored for this reaction, but there are drawbacks to each type of catalyst. Nanoparticle (NP) catalysis is a potential bridge between heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis, frequently combining the easy separation of heterogeneous catalysts with the tunability of homogeneous catalysts. Although the field of NP catalysts is relatively new, NP catalysts have been explored for a variety of reactions, including a number of nitrile hydration reactions. This review makes a thorough assessment of these nitrile hydration reactions.