Phthalhydrazide immobilized on MCM‐41 as a potent and recoverable catalyst for the synthesis of pyrrolo[2,1‐a]isoquinolines

We present a study on the synthesis, characterization, and application of phthalhydrazide‐functionalized MCM‐41 (P‐MCM‐41) as a novel and efficient heterogeneous basic catalyst. The described catalyst was fully characterized via various techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X‐ray (EDX), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR). P‐MCM‐41 efficiently catalyzed the four‐component reaction of arylaldehydes, Meldrum's acid, alkyl isocyanides, and isoquinoline in CHCl₃ to prepare pyrrolo[2,1‐a]isoquinolines in good yields.     

Efficient conversion of fructose to 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural by functionalized γ‐Al2O3 beads

Millimeter size γ‐Al₂O₃ beads were prepared by alginate assisted sol–gel method and grafting organic groups with propyl sulfonic acid and alkyl groups as functionalized γ‐Al₂O₃ bead catalysts for fructose dehydration to 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (5‐HMF). Experiment results showed that the porous structure of γ‐Al₂O₃ beads was favorable to the loading and dispersion of active components, and had an obvious effect on the properties of the catalyst. The lower calcination temperature of γ‐Al₂O₃ beads increased the specific surface area, the hydrophobicity and the activity of catalysts. Competition between the reaction of alkyl groups and ‐SH groups with surface hydroxyl during the preparation process of the catalyst influenced greatly the acid site densities, hydrophobic properties and activity of the catalyst. With an increase in the alkyl group chain, the hydrophobicity of catalysts increased obviously and the activity of the catalyst was enhanced. The most hydrophobic catalyst C₁₆‐SO₃H‐γ‐Al₂O₃–650°C exhibited the highest yield of 5‐HMF (84%) under the following reaction conditions: reaction medium of dimethylsulfoxide/H₂O (V/V, 4:1), catalyst amount of 30 mg, temperature of 110°C and reaction time of 4 hr.     

Synthesis and characterization of MCM‐41‐Biurea‐Pd as a heterogeneous nanocatalyst and using its catalytic efficacy in C–C,C–N and C–O coupling reactions

MCM‐41‐Biurea‐Pd is introduced as a new, heterogeneous and reusable catalyst for C–C and C–heteroatom bond formation between various aryl halides, phenols and amines, in the presence of Ph₃SnCl (Stille reaction) in PEG‐400 as a green solvent at room temperature. The structure of the functionalized MCM‐41 was analysed using various techniques.     

Efficient Liquid‐Phase Oxidation of Diphenylmethane to Benzophenone over Vanadium‐Containing MCM‐41 Catalysts

The liquid‐phase oxidation of diphenylmethane with tert‐butylhydroperoxide has been studied using vanadium‐containing MCM‐41 materials, which were prepared by direct hydrothermal (V‐MCM‐41) and wet impregnation (V/MCM‐41) methods. These catalysts were characterized in detail by ICP‐AES, N₂‐sorption, XRD, FT‐IR, ²⁹Si and ⁵¹V NMR, TPD of ammonia, TPR of hydrogen, and chemisorption of oxygen. Both series of catalyst show good catalytic results, which are attributed to their highly ordered mesoporous structure, large BET surface area as well as the presence of easily accessible vanadium‐oxygen species as active centers in the catalyst. Further, V‐MCM‐41 exhibit superior catalytic activity (based on turnover number) than V/MCM‐41 mainly due to well‐dispersed tetrahedral vanadium‐oxygen species with higher oxidation ability. The effect of reaction parameters, i.e., temperature, time, solvent, etc. were investigated. Catalyst recycling test reveals good stability with only slight extent of leaching during the reaction.     

Fe3O4@silica‐MCM‐41@DABCO: A novel magnetically reusable nanostructured catalyst for clean in situ synthesis of substituted 2‐aminodihydropyrano[3,2‐b]pyran‐3‐cyano

DABCO (1,4‐diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane)‐modified magnetite with silica‐MCM‐41 shell (Fe₃O₄@silica‐MCM‐41@DABCO) as an effective, magnetic and novel heterogeneous reusable nanocatalyst was synthesized and analysed using various techniques. Evaluation of the catalytic activity of this nanocatalyst was performed in the clean synthesis of substituted 2‐aminodihydropyrano[3,2‐b]pyran‐3‐cyano in high yields via in situ reaction of azido kojic acid, malononitrile and various aldehydes.     

Synthesis and characterization of indium and thallium immobilized on isonicotinamide‐functionalized mesoporous MCM‐41: Two novel and highly active heterogeneous catalysts for selective oxidation of sulfides and thiols to their corresponding sulfoxides and disulfides

Two highly ordered isonicotinamide (INA)‐functionalized mesoporous MCM‐41 materials supporting indium and thallium (MCM‐41‐INA‐In and MCM‐41‐INA‐Tl) have been developed using a covalent grafting method. A surface functionalization method has been applied to prepare Cl‐modified mesoporous MCM‐41 material. Condensation of this Cl‐functionalized MCM‐41 with INA leads to the formation of MCM‐41‐INA. The reaction of MCM‐41‐INA with In(NO₃)₃ or Tl(NO₃)₃ leads to the formation of MCM‐41‐INA‐In and MCM‐41‐INA‐Tl catalysts. The resulting materials were characterized using various techniques. These MCM‐41‐INA‐In and MCM‐41‐INA‐Tl catalysts show excellent catalytic performance in the selective oxidation of sulfides and thiols to their corresponding sulfoxides and disulfides. Finally, it is found that the anchored indium and thallium do not leach out from the surface of the mesoporous catalysts during reaction and the catalysts can be reused for seven repeat reaction runs without considerable loss of catalytic performance.     

Vapor‐Phase Reaction of Citronellal over Mesoporous Molecular Sieves MCM‐41 and Zeolites

The vapor‐phase reaction of citronellal (CTN) at 220 °C and atmospheric pressure has been studied using mesoporous molecular sieves and zeolites in a fixed‐bed reactor. The primary products included isopulegol (IPG), menthone, and pulegol with subsequent reactions to form cyclic hydrocarbons. The CTN conversion and the product selectivity depend on the acidity and the textural property of catalysts. Lewis and/or Brönsted acid sites are essential for catalyzing this reaction. An increase of SiO₂/Al₂O₃ mol ratio diminishes the acid amount of all catalysts and enhances both the surface area and the structural order of MCM‐41. The catalytic activity follows the order of MCM‐41 > HZSM‐5 > Hβ > USY, in accordance with the relative total acid amount except that of MCM‐41. Despite its low acidity, Si‐MCM‐41 exhibits the best catalytic performance due to its uniform mesopores, large surface area and good stability; the CTN conversion and the IPG yield attain 91.9% and 58.6%, respectively, after at least 25 h time‐on‐stream.     

Immobilization of cerium (IV) and erbium (III) in mesoporous MCM‐41: Two novel and highly active heterogeneous catalysts for the synthesis of 5‐substituted tetrazoles,and chemo‐ and homoselective oxidation of sulfides

Two well‐ordered 2D ‐ hexagonal cerium (IV) and erbium (III) embedded functionalized mesoporous MCM ‐ 41(MCM‐41@Serine/Ce and MCM ‐ 41@Serine/Er) have been developed via functionalization of mesoporous MCM ‐ 41. The surface modification method has been used in the preparation of serine‐grafted MCM ‐ 41 and led to the development of MCM‐41@Serine. The reaction of MCM‐41@Serine with Ce (NH₄)₂(NO₃)₆·2H₂O or ErCl₃·6H₂O in ethanol under reflux led to the organization of MCM‐41@Serine/Ce and MCM‐41@Serine/Er catalysts. The structures of these catalysts were determined using scanning electron microscopy, mapping, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform‐infrared, thermogravimetric analysis, X‐ray diffraction, inductively coupled plasma, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis. These MCM‐41@Serine/Ce and MCM‐41@Serine/Er catalysts show outstanding catalytic performance in sulfides oxidation and synthesis of 5‐substituted tetrazoles. These catalysts can be recycled for seven repeated reaction runs without showing a considerable decrease in catalytic performance.     

Copper(I)‐N2S2‐salen type complex covalently anchored onto MCM‐41 silica: an efficient and reusable catalyst for the A3‐coupling reaction toward propargylamines

The immobilization of copper complexes by covalent anchoring of the ligand on the surface of mesoporous MCM‐41 has been described. Bis[2‐(phenylthio)benzylidene]‐1,2‐ethylenediamine as a new N₂S₂ donor salen‐type ligand was covalently anchored onto nanopores of MCM‐41 coordinated with copper (I) halide. The organic–inorganic hybrid material was achieved readily using 3‐mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane as a reactive surface modifier. 2‐Nitrobenzaldehyde was reacted smoothly with the thiol moieties in order to form functionalized nanoporous silica with carbaldehyde groups. The resulting supported organic moieties were converted to thiosalen ligand and coordinated with CuX (X = CN, Cl, Br, I). Characterization of the heterogeneous catalyst by X‐ray diffraction, N₂ sorption, FT‐IR, diffuse reflectance UV‐visible and TGA techniques indicated successful grafting of the copper complex inside the nano‐channels of MCM‐41. The heterogenized catalyst was evaluated by the Mannich condensation reaction of aldehydes, amines and alkynes. In this reaction, the corresponding propargylamines were obtained as single products in good to excellent yields. Factors such as reaction temperature, solvent, catalyst loading, leaching and reusability of the catalyst also were discussed. The use of MCM‐41 as support permits an easier separation and recycles with only a marginal decrease in reactivity. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Periodic Mesoporous Organosilicas: A Type of Hybrid Support for Water‐Mediated Reactions

Hybrid mesoporous periodic organosilicas (Ph‐PMOs) with phenylene moieties embedded inside the silica matrix were used as a heterogeneous catalyst for the Ullmann coupling reaction in water. XRD, N₂ sorption, TEM, and solid‐state NMR spectroscopy reveal that mesoporous Ph‐PMO supports and Pd/Ph‐PMO catalysts have highly ordered 2D hexagonal mesostructures and covalently bonded organic–inorganic (all Si atoms bonded with carbon) hybrid frameworks. In the Ullmann coupling reaction of iodobenzene in water, the yield of biphenyl was 94 %, 34 %, 74 % and for palladium‐supported Ph‐PMO, pure silica (MCM‐41), and phenyl‐group‐modified Ph‐MCM‐41 catalysts, respectively. The selectivity toward biphenyl reached 91 % for the coupling of boromobenzene on the Pd/Ph‐PMO catalyst. This value is much higher than that for Pd/Ph‐MCM‐41 (19 %) and Pd/MCM‐41 (0 %), although the conversion of bromobenzene for these two catalysts is similar to that for Pd/Ph‐PMO. The large difference in selectivity can be attributed to surface hydrophobicity, which was evaluated by the adsorption isotherms of water and toluene. Ph‐PMO has the most hydrophobic surface, and in turn selectively adsorbs the reactant haloaryls from aqueous solution. Water transfer inside the mesochannels is thus restricted, and the coupling reaction of bromobenzene is improved.     

Heterogeneous copper‐catalyzed oxidative coupling of oxime acetates with sodium sulfinates: An efficient and practical synthesis of β‐keto sulfones

An efficient and practical route to β‐keto sulfones has been developed through heterogeneous oxidative coupling of oxime acetates with sodium sulfinates by using an MCM‐41‐supported Schiff base‐pyridine bidentate copper (II) complex [MCM‐41‐Sb,Py‐Cu (OAc)₂] as the catalyst and oxime acetates as an internal oxidant, followed by hydrolysis. The reaction generates a variety of β‐keto sulfones in good to excellent yields. This new heterogeneous copper (II) catalyst can be easily prepared via a simple procedure from readily available and inexpensive reagents and exhibits the same catalytic activity as Cu (OAc)₂. MCM‐41‐Sb,Py‐Cu (OAc)₂ is also easy to recover and is recyclable up to eight times with almost consistent activity.     

A Cheap and Efficient Methodology for the Solvent‐Free,One‐pot and Multi‐component Synthesis of 3,4‐Dihydropyrimidin‐2(1H)‐ones Catalyzed by Mesoporous NH4H2PO4/MCM‐48 and Comparison of Its Catalytic Efficacy with NH4H2PO4/MCM‐41

The catalytic efficiency of ammonium dihydrogenphosphate was evaluated in the two heterogeneous forms of NH₄H₂PO₄/MCM‐48 and NH₄H₂PO₄/MCM‐41, as mesoporous catalysts, in the solvent free synthesis of 3,4‐dihydropyrimidin‐2(1H)‐ones through one‐pot three‐component condensation of ethyl acetoacetate, an aryl aldehyde and urea. Different reaction parameters including catalytic efficacy, solvent effect, and urea concentration are considered.     

An efficient heterogeneous cross‐coupling of aryl iodides with diphenylphosphine catalyzed by copper (I) immobilized in MCM‐41

The heterogeneous cross‐coupling reaction of aryl iodides with diphenylphosphine was achieved in toluene at 115 °C in the presence of 10 mol% of phenanthroline‐functionalized MCM‐41‐supported copper (I) complex (Phen‐MCM‐41‐CuI) with Cs₂CO₃ as base, yielding various unsymmetric triarylphosphines in good to excellent yields. This protocol can tolerate a wide range of functional groups and does not need the use of expensive additives or harsh reaction conditions. This heterogeneous Cu (I) catalyst exhibited the same catalytic activity as homogeneous CuI/Phen system, and could easily be recovered by a simple filtration of the reaction solution and recycled up to seven times without significant loss of activity.     

Application of MCM‐41‐SO3H as an Advanced Nanocatalyst for the Solvent Free Synthesis of Pyrano[3,2‐c]pyridine Derivatives

MCM‐41‐SO₃H, an ordered mesoporous silica material in which MCM‐41 with covalently anchored sulfonic acid groups was used as an acidic catalyst for the rapid and ‘green’ synthesis of pyrano[3,2‐c]pyridine derivatives under solvent‐free conditions. Reusability of the catalyst, high yields, short reaction times, simplicity and easy workup are advantages of this novel synthetic procedure compared to the conventional methods reported in the literature.     

Liquid Phase Hydrogenation of t,t,c‐1,5,9‐Cyclododecatriene over Ni/MCM‐41 and Ni/SiO2 Catalysts

Ni‐loaded pure siliceous and aluminosilicate MCM‐41 (Ni/MCM‐41) and nickel‐loaded silica (15Ni/SiO₂) were synthesized via wet impregnation and were characterized by various techniques. The H₂ consumption in the TPR analysis was found to be proportional to the Ni amount in the calcined samples. After reduction the average Ni particle sizes of 15Ni/MCM‐41 and 15Ni/SiO₂ were 9–12 and 16 nm, respectively, by means of XRD and TEM measurements. All catalysts owned weak and intermediate Lewis acid sites that increased slightly with increasing the Ni amount and the Al content. In the liquid phase hydrogenation of t,t,c‐1,5,9‐cyclododecatriene over Ni/MCM‐41, the catalytic activity was parallel to the Ni content and enhanced slightly with the acid amount of the catalysts. Consequently, it was proposed that the Ni metallic sites contributed the major effect to the catalytic activity while the Lewis acid sites promoted a small but significant influence on the catalytic performance. It is noteworthy that all 15Ni/MCM‐41 catalysts exhibited remarkably higher activity than that of the conventional 15Ni/SiO₂ catalyst.     

Pd(0)‐ S‐propyl‐2‐aminobenzothioate immobilized onto functionalized magnetic nanoporous MCM‐41 as efficient and recyclable nanocatalyst for the Suzuki,Stille and Heck cross coupling reactions

The present work describes the use of Pd(0)‐ S‐propyl‐2‐aminobenzothioate Complex immobilized onto functionalized magnetic nanoporous MCM‐41(Fe₃O₄@MCM‐41@Pd‐SPATB) as efficient and recyclable nano‐organometallic catalyst for C–C bond formation between various aryl halides with phenylboronic acid (Suzuki reaction), aryl halides with triphenyltin chloride (Stille reaction), and aryl halides with n‐butyl acrylate (Heck reaction). All the reactions were carried out in PEG‐400 as green solvent with short reaction time and good to excellent yields. This catalyst was characterized by FT‐IR spectroscopy, XRD, TGA, VSM, ICP‐OES, TEM, EDX and SEM techniques. Ease of operation, high efficiency, recovery and reusability for five continuous cycles without significant loss of its catalytic activities or metal leaching are the noteworthy features of the currently employed heterogeneous catalytic system.     

Dehydration of Castor Oil over NaHSO4/MCM‐41 Catalyst Modified by n‐Dodecyltriethoxysilane

n‐Dodecyltriethoxysilane (DTEOS) modified NaHSO₄/MCM‐41 catalysts (silanized catalysts) were synthesized by different impregnation sequences and evaluated in the liquid‐phase dehydration of castor oil. The samples were evaluated by X‐ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption‐desorption, SEM, TEM, FT‐IR spectroscopy, XPS, ²⁹Si MAS NMR spectroscopy, contact angle measurements, NH₃‐TPD, and pyridine‐FT‐IR spectroscopy. The analyses demonstrated that silanization enhanced the hydrophobicity of the catalysts, and the impregnation sequence of silanized catalysts had a significant effect on the NaHSO₄ dispersion, surface area, acid distribution, and hydrophobicity of the silanized catalysts. The catalytic activity of the silanized catalysts was much higher than that of NaHSO₄/MCM‐41. Among the silanized catalysts, the catalyst prepared by simultaneous impregnation with DTEOS and NaHSO₄ showed the highest iodine value of 141.8 [g(I₂) per 100 g] and lowest hydroxyl value of 11.3 [mg(KOH) · g^–1].     

A phosphine‐free heterogeneous Suzuki–Miyaura reaction of aryl bromides catalyzed by MCM‐41‐supported tridentate nitrogen palladium complex under air

MCM‐41‐supported tridentate nitrogen palladium(II) complex [MCM‐41‐3 N‐Pd(II)] was conveniently synthesized from commercially available and cheap 3‐(2‐aminoethylamino)propyltrimethoxysilane via immobilization on MCM‐41, followed by reacting with pyridine‐2‐carboxaldehyde and PdCl₂. It was found that this palladium complex is an excellent catalyst for the Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reaction of aryl bromides on two points: (i) the use of 5 × 10⁻⁴ mol equiv. of MCM‐41‐3 N‐Pd(II) under air afforded the coupling products efficiently after easy workup; (2) the catalyst can be reused many times without loss of catalytic activity. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Production of 5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural from Fructose in Ionic Liquid Efficiently Catalyzed by Cr(III)‐Al2O3 Catalyst

A series of metal‐Al₂O₃ catalysts were prepared simply by the conventional impregnation with Al₂O₃ and metal chlorides, which were applied to the dehydration of fructose to 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). An agreeable HMF yield of 93.1% was achieved from fructose at mild conditions (100°C and 40 min) when employing Cr(III)‐Al₂O₃ as catalyst in 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride ([Bmim]Cl). The Cr(III)‐Al₂O₃ catalyst was characterized via XRD, DRS and Raman spectra and the results clarified the interaction between the Cr(III) and the alumina support. Meanwhile, the reaction solvents ([Bmim]Cl) collected after 1^st reaction run and 5^th reaction run were analyzed by ICP‐OES and LC‐ITMS and the results confirmed that no Cr(III) ion was dropped off from the alumina support during the fructose dehydration. Notably, Cr(III)‐Al₂O₃ catalyst had an excellent catalytic performance for glucose and sucrose and the HMF yields were reached to 73.7% and 84.1% at 120°C for 60 min, respectively. Furthermore, the system of Cr(III)‐Al₂O₃ and [Bmim]Cl exhibited a constant stability and activity at 100°C for 40 min and a favorable HMF yield was maintained after ten recycles.     

Synthesis,Characterization and Catalysis of Ce‐MCM‐41

The cerium‐containing MCM‐41 (Ce‐MCM‐41) has been synthesized by direct hydrothermal method. The low‐angle XRD patterns revealed the typical five major peaks of MCM‐41 type hexagonal structures. The interplanar spacing d₁₀₀ = 38.4 Å was obtained that can be indexed on a hexagonal unit cell parameter with a_o = 44.3 Å which was larger than that of pure siliceous MCM‐41 (Si‐MCM‐41). Transmission electron micrograph shows the regular hexagonal array of uniform channel characteristics of MCM‐41. The BET surface area of Ce‐MCM‐41 was 840 m²/g, which is much reduced as compared to that of Si‐MCM‐41, with the pore size of 26.9 Å and mesopore volume of 0.78 cm³/g were measured by nitrogen adsorption‐desorption isotherm at 77 K. Along with the results, the synthesized Ce‐MCM‐41 exhibited a well‐ordered MCM‐41‐type mesoporous structure with the incorporation of cerium. Using Ce‐MCM‐41 as a support, the Rh (0.5 wt%) catalyst exhibited very high activity for the NO/CO reactions.