Importance of product desorption in enantioselective hydrogenation of (E)-alpha-phenylcinnamic acid with a cinchonidine-modified Pd/TiO2 catalyst: Effect of additives

Addition of amines, especially benzylamine, to the reaction mixture of (E)- alpha-phenylcinnamic acid with a cinchonidine-modified palladium catalyst r esulted in much enhanced activities and fairly increased enantioselectiviti es. The preferential acceleration of the selective reaction is attributable to the effective desorption, assisted by the added base, of the hydrogenat ed molecules from the modified sites.