Copper Complexes Stabilized by Chitosans: Peculiarities of the Structure,Redox, and Catalytic Properties

Peculiarities of the structure and physicochemical properties of copper–chitosan complexes prepared by different methods were studied by IR, UV-visible, ESR spectroscopy, and electron microscopy. The catalytic activity of redox copper centers stabilized by the chitosan matrix in the reactions of oxidation of o- and p-dihydroxybenzenes in an aqueous medium was determined. Quantitative ESR measurements provide evidence for the localization of virtually all copper ions introduced in the initial heterogeneous chitosan samples with copper contents below 1.5 wt % in the form of isolated Cu²⁺ ions in square planar coordination. The chitosan matrix was shown to strongly bind copper ions under conditions of redox transformations in the catalytic tests or upon prolonged heating in boiling water. Reoxidation of the samples with H₂O₂ results in quantitative restoration of the initial ESR signal of Cu(II). Heterogenized copper–chitosan samples exhibited high activity and stability in the catalytic oxidation of dihydroxybenzenes into quinones, whereas the homogeneous system was characterized by irreversible poisoning due to formation of copper–hydroquinone complexes. Preparation of the binary composite system with a thin heterogeneous copper–chitosan film supported on a macroporous silica allows one to dramatically enhance the specific catalytic activity and the efficiency of the active component. Such an approach may turn out to be useful in the synthesis of supported chitosan catalyst with a low noble metal content.     

Comparative study of Cu(II) catalytic sites immobilized onto different polymeric supports

The catalysts with copper(II) ions stabilized onto different polymeric matrixes are prepared on either bulk (Cu/chitosan, Cu/polyethyleneimine-polyacrylic acid (PPA), and Cu-diiminate-impregnated polystyrene, polyarylate, or polymethylmethacrylate) or composite supports (egg-shell type Cu/chitosan/SiO₂ and Cu/PPA/SiO₂). The morphology of the samples and peculiarities of Cu(II) cationic sites are studied by SEM and ESR methods, and the catalyst activities are compared in oxidation of o- and p-dihydroxybenzenes by air in water. The catalytic activity of Cu(II) centers is governed by the coordination of isolated copper ions: for the most active catalysts, i.e., Cu/chitosan and Cu/PPA, the symmetry of isolated Cu²⁺-sites approximates a coordinatively unsaturated square-planar structure. At the same time, accessibility of active sites to water differs for different polymers, so the contribution of hydrophilicity to the reaction pattern cannot be excluded. Redox transformations of the active sites in the course of catalytic tests do not cause copper leaching from the polymer matrix. The binary composite systems with a film of low-loaded hydrofilic Cu-polymer supported on macroporous SiO₂ demonstrate substantially higher activity in oxidation of hydroquinone and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, as compared with the bulk Cu/polymer samples. In turn, the specific activity of Cu/chitosan/SiO₂ exceeds significantly that of Cu/PPA/SiO₂ due to stabilization of a thinner and more uniform film of chitosan at the surface of silica.     

Catalytic synthesis of 1-arylethylphosphonates by the hydrogenation of unsaturated precursors in the presence of chitosan-based palladium catalysts

Three-component silica-supported palladium-containing systems based on chitosan were synthesized and studied by scanning electron microscopy. These systems showed catalytic activity in the hydrogenation (including chemoselective hydrogenation) of α,β-unsaturated phosphonic acids and their esters. Modification of chitosan on the silica surface with glutaraldehyde considerably enhances the stability and activity of the catalyst.     

Adsorption of phenol and 2,4-dichlorophenol on carbon-containing sorbent produced from sugar cane bagasse

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Carboxylation of 2-methylbutyn-3-ol-2 on Ag- and Cu-containing catalysts

The analysis of the products of direct carboxylation of 2-methylbutyn-3-ol-2 with carbon dioxide on Ag- and Cu-containing catalysts by ¹Н and ¹³С NMR and FTIR spectroscopy showed that the desired 4-hydroxy-4-methylpent-2-ynoic acid did not form under the given conditions; instead, the triple bond of the substrate decomposed, and two polyfunctional acids formed: 4-hydroxy-4-methyl-3-oxopentanoic and 3,4-dihydroxy-4-methylpent-2-enic (the latter is the result of the keto-enol rearrangement of the former keto acid).     

Preparation of Propanols by Glycerol Hydrogenolysis over Bifunctional Nickel-Containing Catalysts

The paper presents the results obtained in studying glycerol hydrogenolysis into 1-propanol and 2-propanol over bifunctional Ni/WO₃-TiO₂ and Ni/WO₃-ZrO₂ catalysts in the flow system. Due to the optimal combination of acidic and hydrogenation properties of the heterogeneous catalysts, they exhibit higher performance in glycerol conversion into C₃ alcohols, although the process is carried out in rather mild conditions. At the reaction temperature of 250 °C and hydrogen pressure of 3 MPa, the total yield of 1-propanol and 2-propanol reaches 95%, and the glycerol conversion is close to 100%.     

Incorporation of carbon dioxide into molecules of acetylene hydrocarbons on heterogeneous Ag-containing catalysts

The reaction between 2-(2-phenylethynyl)aniline and carbon dioxide on heterogeneous Ag-containing catalysts can lead either to benzoxazine-2-one or to 4-hydroxyquinoline-2(1Н)-one, depending on the reaction conditions (nature of the base, CO₂ pressure). The structures of the products were confirmed by ¹Н and ¹³С NMR spectroscopy. The maximum yield of the products (60 and 30% for benzoxazine-2-one and 4-hydroxyquinolin-2(1Н)-one, respectively) is achieved on the catalyst Ag(1%)/γ-Al₂O₃(F). According to the results of physicochemical studies, the high activity of the catalysts in the reactions proceeding via triple bond activation results from the combination of three factors. First, the catalyst contains metallic silver particles with the size >2 nm; second, metallic silver particles coexist with silver cations; and third, strong acid sites are present on the support surface.     

Intramolecular hydroamination of 2-(2-phenylethynyl)aniline catalyzed by gold nanoparticles

The possibility of using heterogeneous catalysts with a low content of gold in the intramolecular hydroamination of 2-(2-phenylethynyl)aniline was shown. The catalysts with size of gold particles lower than 3 nm exhibit catalytic activity. The study of efficiency of the heterogeneous Au-containing catalysts on different supports (MCM-41, γ-Al₂O₃(F), NH₄ ⁺-Beta, Diasorbamine-60, APTES-MCM-41, and SH-PMO) revealed that the maximum yields of 2-phenylindole were achieved with gold supported on mesoporous silicate materials. A high degree of dispersion of gold in these catalysts is explained by the presence of amino or thiol anchor groups in the support composition. It was found by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy and XPS and XRD methods that gold in these catalysts exists on the support surfaces as small metal particles and due to their size dimensions they show a decreased electron density, i.e., they are electron-deficient Au^δ+ nanoparticles.     

Study of Palladium Complexes with Chitosan and Its Derivatives as Potential Catalysts for Terminal Olefin Oxidation

FTIR spectroscopy and XPS are used to study palladium complexes with various forms of chitosan: initial and modified by glutaric aldehyde. IR bands are identified that are related to the Pd–N and Pd–O bonds. A difference between the spectra of complexes obtained by the methods of adsorption and coprecipitation of chitosanium hydrochloride with the tetrachloropalladate ion is found. It is shown that the systems studied can be used as catalysts for terminal olefin oxidation by oxygen in the presence of H₂O₂. In the course of the reaction, the complexes undergo redox transformations without breaking the structure of the complex or metal transfer to the reaction mixture. The use of heterogenized Pd(II) complexes as catalysts in terminal olefin oxidation leads to the formation of oxidation and isomerization products, similarly to the case of homogeneous oxidation.