Synthesis of Pyrazolo‐[4́,3́:5,6]pyrido[2,3‐d]pyrimidine‐diones Catalyzed by a Nano‐sized Surface‐Grafted Neodymium Complex of the Tungstosilicate via Multicomponent Reaction

An inorganic–organic hybrid based on lanthanide clusters and Keggin type polyoxometalates (POMs) (Na[Nd (pydc‐OH)(H₂O)₄]₃}[SiW₁₂O₄₀]) was used the first time as trinuclear catalyst for one pot synthesis of pyrazolo[4??,3?:5,6]pyrido[2,3‐d]pyrimidine‐diones, via two different four and five‐component reactions involving hydrazine hydrate, ethyl acetoacetate, aryl aldehydes, and 6‐amino‐1,3‐dimethyl uracil or barbituric acid with ammonium acetate as alternative materials in green condition. To evaluate potential application of the as‐made hybrid in adsorption and separation processes, nitrogen adsorption was performed at 77 K through simulation study. The hybrid catalyst was further characterized via powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD) at room temperature which indicated the good phase purity of the catalyst. The results show that the catalytic activity of the hybrid catalyst has increased relative to each parent component due to the special interaction between Keggin anions and pydc‐OH ligands.     

Bifunctional Heterogeneous Catalysis of Silica–Alumina‐Supported Tertiary Amines with Controlled Acid–Base Interactions for Efficient 1,4‐Addition Reactions

We report the first tunable bifunctional surface of silica–alumina‐supported tertiary amines (SA–NEt₂) active for catalytic 1,4‐addition reactions of nitroalkanes and thiols to electron‐deficient alkenes. The 1,4‐addition reaction of nitroalkanes to electron‐deficient alkenes is one of the most useful carbon–carbon bond‐forming reactions and applicable toward a wide range of organic syntheses. The reaction between nitroethane and methyl vinyl ketone scarcely proceeded with either SA or homogeneous amines, and a mixture of SA and amines showed very low catalytic activity. In addition, undesirable side reactions occurred in the case of a strong base like sodium ethoxide employed as a catalytic reagent. Only the present SA‐supported amine (SA–NEt₂) catalyst enabled selective formation of a double‐alkylated product without promotions of side reactions such as an intramolecular cyclization reaction. The heterogeneous SA–NEt₂ catalyst was easily recovered from the reaction mixture by simple filtration and reusable with retention of its catalytic activity and selectivity. Furthermore, the SA–NEt₂ catalyst system was applicable to the addition reaction of other nitroalkanes and thiols to various electron‐deficient alkenes. The solid‐state magic‐angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopic analyses, including variable‐contact‐time ¹³C cross‐polarization (CP)/MAS NMR spectroscopy, revealed that acid–base interactions between surface acid sites and immobilized amines can be controlled by pretreatment of SA at different temperatures. The catalytic activities for these addition reactions were strongly affected by the surface acid–base interactions.     

Chitosan‐Silica Sulfate Nano Hybrid as a Novel and Highly Proficient Heterogeneous Nano Catalyst for Regioselective Ring Opening of Epoxides via Carboxylic Acids

The synthesis and characterization of chitosan‐silica sulfate nano hybrid (CSSNH ) as a novel and efficient heterogeneous nano catalyst involving acid‐base bifunctional activity is described. The catalytic potency and activity of this eco‐friendly catalyst was investigated in regioselective ring opening of epoxides with carboxylic acids to access structurally diverse 1,2‐diol mono‐esters in good to excellent yields. CSSNH catalyst was characterized using different microscopic and spectroscopic techniques encompassing scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, N₂ adsorption isotherm, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The green nature, cheapness, efficiency, ease of preparation, handling and reusability of this new catalyst makes this catalyst to be useful for green industrial processes.     

Preparation,characterization and application of silica‐supported palladium complex as a new and heterogeneous catalyst for Suzuki and Sonogashira reactions

An efficient heterogeneous Pd catalytic system has been developed, based on immobilization of Pd nanoparticles (PNPs) on a silica‐bonded propylamine–cyanuric–cysteine (SiO₂–pA–Cyan–Cys) substrate. The synthesized catalyst was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, FT‐IR, N₂ adsorption analysis (BET), TGA and inductively coupled plasma/atomic emission spectroscopy, and catalytic activity of this catalyst was investigated in the Suzuki and Sonogashira cross‐coupling reactions. The catalysts showed excellent performance in these two reactions, including various aryl halide derivatives (except aryl chloride derivatives) with phenylboronic acid and phenylacetylene under green conditions. Moreover, the catalyst was recycled for several runs without any significant loss of catalytic activity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Friedel–Crafts Acylation and Related Reactions Catalyzed by Heteropoly Acids

The Friedel–Crafts acylation of anisole (AN) with acetic anhydride (AA) and the Fries rearrangement of phenyl acetate in the liquid phase catalyzed by bulk and silica-supported heteropoly acids (HPA), mainly H₃PW₁₂O₄₀ (PW), have been studied. In anisole acylation, PW exhibits very high activity, yielding up to 98% para and 2–4% ortho isomer of methoxyacetophenone (MOAP) at 90-110°C and an AN/AA molar ratio of 10–20. The reaction appears to be heterogeneously catalyzed; no contribution of homogeneous catalysis by HPA was observed. PW is almost 100 times more active than the zeolite H-Beta, which is in agreement with the higher acid strength of HPA. The PW catalyst is reusable, although gradual decline of activity was observed due to the coking of the catalyst. The acylation is inhibited by the product because of adsorption of MOAP on the catalyst surface. In contrast to anisole, the acylation of toluene with HPA is far less efficient than that with H-Beta. Evidence is provided that the activity of HPA in toluene acylation is inhibited by preferential adsorption of acetic anhydride on the catalyst. It is demonstrated that PW is a very efficient and reusable catalyst for the Fries rearrangement of phenyl acetate in homogeneous or heterogeneous liquid-phase systems at 100–150°C.     

Palladium on magnetic Irish moss: A new nano‐biocatalyst for suzuki type cross‐coupling reactions

A novel heterogeneous magnetic palladium nano‐biocatalyst was designed by utilizing Irish moss, a family of sulfated polysaccharides extracted from algae, as a natural biopolymer. This magnetic Irish moss decorated with palladium (Pd–Fe₃O₄@IM) to form a biomagnetic catalytic system was synthesized and well characterized by FT–IR analysis, X‐ray powder diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The catalyst was stable to air and moisture and displayed high catalytic activity in ligand‐free Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling reactions conducted under green chemistry reaction conditions. The aromatic ketones are produced by the cross‐coupling reaction between acid chlorides and aryl boronic acid derivatives in high yields.     

An Effective Pd–Ni2P/C Anode Catalyst for Direct Formic Acid Fuel Cells

The direct formic acid fuel cell is an emerging energy conversion device for which palladium is considered as the state‐of‐the‐art anode catalyst. In this communication, we show that the activity and stability of palladium for formic acid oxidation can be significantly enhanced using nickel phosphide (Ni₂P) nanoparticles as a cocatalyst. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) reveals a strong electronic interaction between Ni₂P and Pd. A direct formic acid fuel cell incorporating the best Pd–Ni₂P anode catalyst exhibits a power density of 550 mW cm^?2, which is 3.5 times of that of an analogous device using a commercial Pd anode catalyst.     

12-Tungstophosphoric acid niched in Zr-based metal-organic framework: a stable and efficient catalyst for Friedel-Crafts acylation

Heteropoly acids(HPA) are well known for their versatile solid acid catalysis in diverse chemical reactions, however they suffer from low surface area(10 m~2/g) and leaching into the reactions media, which reduce their prospects as industrial catalyst.Herein, a novel hybrid material HPW@Zr-BTC,composed of 12-tungstophoric acid(HPW) and Zr~(Ⅳ)-benzene tri-carboxylate(Zr-BTC) metal-organic framework(MOF), was prepared via one-pot solvothermal method. Excellent HPW loading up to 32.3 wt% was achieved, and HPW@Zr-BTC composite proved to be highly stable, besides the crystalline morphology of Zr-BTC was intact. The catalytic activity of the hybrid composite was explored via Friedel-Crafts acylation of anisole with benzoyl chloride.The 28.2 wt% HPW@Zr-BTC showed excellent catalytic performance, with 99.4% anisole conversion and 97.6% yield(pmethoxybenzophenone) under solvent free conditions. Excellent retention of catalytic activity was achieved after at least five consecutive runs due to non-observable HPW leaching. The promising activity and stability of the catalyst forecasted its potential industrial applications.     

Green,cost‐effective and efficient procedure for Heck and Sonogashira coupling reactions using palladium nanoparticles supported on functionalized Fe3O4@SiO2 by polyvinyl alcohol as a highly active,durable and reusable catalyst

A novel heterogenized organometallic catalyst was synthesized by coordinating palladium with polyvinyl alcohol‐functionalized Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ nanospheres. This novel catalyst was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope, field emission scanning electron microscope, dynamic light scattering, UV–vis spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray analysis, thermogravimetric analysis and inductively coupled plasma analysis. The prepared palladium nanoparticles supported on polyvinyl alcohol functionalized Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ nanoparticles were successfully applied as a magnetically recyclable catalyst in Heck and Sonogashira coupling reactions in water. They showed remarkable activity toward aryl halides (I, Br, Cl) using very low palladium loading in excellent yields and demonstrated high TONs (mmol of product per mmol of catalyst). Also, the catalyst could be magnetically separated and reused seven times without any appreciable loss of catalytic activity.     

Palladium nanoparticles immobilized on EDTA‐modified Fe3O4@SiO2 nanospheres as an efficient and magnetically separable catalyst for Suzuki and Sonogashira cross‐coupling reactions

In this study, a novel heterogeneous palladium catalyst was synthesized by anchoring palladium onto ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)‐coated Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ magnetic nanocomposite and used for the Suzuki and Sonogashira cross‐coupling reactions. The properties of the magnetic catalyst were characterized by FT‐IR, XRD, TEM, FE‐SEM, DLS EDX, XPS, N₂ adsorption‐desorption isotherm analysis, TGA, VSM, elemental analysis and the loading level of Pd in catalyst was measured to be 0.51 mmol/g by ICP. The catalyst was used in Suzuki cross‐coupling reactions of various aryl halides, including less reactive chlorobenzenes with phenylboronic acid without any additive or ligand under green conditions. Furthermore, we have reported this recyclable catalytic system for Sonogashira cross‐coupling reactions of various aryl halides (I, Br, Cl) under copper and ligand‐free conditions in the presence of DMF/H₂O (1:2/v:v) as a solvent. The magnetic catalyst could also be separated by an external magnet and reused six times without any significant loss of activity.     

Cooperative Acid–Base Effects with Functionalized Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles: Applications in Carbon–Carbon Bond‐Formation Reactions

Acid–base bifunctional mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) were prepared by a one‐step synthesis by co‐condensation of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and silanes possessing amino and/or sulfonic acid groups. Both the functionality and morphology of the particles can be controlled. The grafted functional groups were characterized by using solid‐state ²⁹Si and ¹³C cross‐polarization/magic angle spinning (CP/MAS) NMR spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and elemental analysis, whereas the structural and the morphological features of the materials were evaluated by using XRD and N₂ adsorption–desorption analyses, and SEM imaging. The catalytic activities of the mono‐ and bifunctional mesoporous hybrid materials were evaluated in carbon–carbon coupling reactions like the nitroaldol reaction and the one‐pot deacetalization–nitroaldol and deacetalization–aldol reactions. Among all the catalysts evaluated, the bifunctional sample containing amine and sulfonic acid groups (MSN–NNH₂–SO₃H) showed excellent catalytic activity, whereas the homogeneous catalysts were unable to initiate the reaction due to their mutual neutralization in solution. Therefore a cooperative acid–base activation is envisaged for the carbon–carbon coupling reactions.     

Hydration and acetoxylation of dihydromyrcene catalyzed by heteropoly acid

The liquid-phase hydration and acetoxylation of the monoterpene dihydromyrcene (DHM, 3,7-dimethyl-1,6-octadiene) are efficiently catalyzed by Keggin-type heteropoly acid H₃PW₁₂O₄₀ (HPA) at 14–30°C to yield dihydromyrcenol (DHM---OH, 2,6-dimethyl-7-octen-2-ol) and dihydromyrcenyl acetate (DHM---OAc). Homogeneous, biphasic (DHM/AcOH-H₂O-HPA) and heterogeneous (with HPA/SiO₂ catalyst) reactions have been studied. HPA has a much higher catalytic activity than conventional acid catalysts such as H₂SO₄ and Amberlyst-15. A synthetically useful biphasic acetoxylation/hydration of DHM has been developed. The method provides a 90% selectivity to the sum of DHM---OH and DHM---OAc at 21% DHM conversion and allows for easy and clean catalyst recycling without loss of activity.     

Aza‐Crown Ether Complex Cation Ionic Liquids: Preparation and Applications in Organic Reactions

Aza‐crown ether complex cation ionic liquids (aCECILs) were devised, fabricated, and characterized by using NMR spectroscopy, MS, thermogravimetric differential thermal analysis (TG‐DTA), elemental analysis and physical properties. These new and room‐temperature ILs were utilized as catalysts in various organic reactions, such as the cycloaddition reaction of CO₂ to epoxides, esterification of acetic acid and alcohols, the condensation reaction of aniline and propylene carbonate, and Friedel–Crafts alkylation of indole with aldehydes were investigated carefully. In these reactions, the ionic liquid exhibited cooperative catalytic activity between the anion and cation. In addition, the aza‐[18‐C‐6HK][HSO₄]₂ was the best acidic catalyst in the reactions of esterification and Friedel–Crafts alkylation under mild reaction conditions.     

Molybdenum (VI)‐functionalized UiO‐66 provides an efficient heterogeneous nanocatalyst in oxidation reactions

A novel heterogeneous nanocatalyst was established by supporting molybdenum (VI) on Zr₆ nodes in the structure of the well‐known UiO‐66 metal–organic framework (MOF). The structure of the UiO‐66 before and after Mo (VI) immobilization was confirmed with XRD, DR‐FTIR and UV–vis spectroscopy, and the presence and amount of Mo (VI) was identified by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. TEM imaging confirmed the absence of Mo clusters on the MOF surface, while SEM confirmed that the appearance of the MOF has not changed upon immobilizing the Mo (VI) catalyst. BET adsorption measurements were used to confirm the porosity of the catalyst. The catalytic activity of this heterogeneous catalyst was investigated in oxidation of sulfides with H₂O₂ in acetonitrile and oxidative desulfurization of dibenzothiophene. Easy work up, convenient and steady reuse and high activity and selectivity are prominent properties of this new hybrid material.     

Synthesis and characterization of polyvinylpyrrolidone immobilized on magnetic nanoparticles modified by ionic liquid as a novel and recyclable catalyst for the three‐component synthesis of amidoalkyl naphthols

In this study, an efficient and green procedure is explained for the preparation of 1‐amidoalkyl‐2‐naphthols applying one‐pot condensation reaction of 2‐naphthol, amide and aromatic nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@IL‐PVP) as a novel solid acid catalyst under solvent‐free conditions. The remarkable features of this method are short reaction time, high conversions, and high yield of product, easy workup procedures and solvent‐free conditions. The Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@IL‐PVP catalyst was characterized via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), X‐ray diffraction patterns (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS). Also, nanocatalysts could be easily recovered by a simple magnet and reused for the next reactions without significant loss of its catalytic activity.     

The effect of citric acid on the catalytic activity of nano‐sized MoS2 toward sulfur‐resistant CO methanation

In this work, a facile hydrothermal route was used to prepare nano‐sized MoS₂ catalyst. The effect of citric acid during the MoS₂ preparation process on the catalytic activity of sulfur‐resistant CO methanation was investigated. It was found that citric acid played an adverse role on the catalytic activity of MoS₂ toward sulfur‐resistant CO methanation. However, CO methanation performance turned out to be better when NH₂OH?HCl as a reductant was removed during the catalyst preparation process. The X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared spectroscopy (IR) were performed to discuss the possible mechanism for the effect of citric acid towards CO methanation performance.     

Application of palladium nanoparticle‐decorated Artemisia abrotanum extract‐modified graphene oxide for highly active catalytic reduction of methylene blue,methyl orange and rhodamine B

A green palladium‐based catalyst supported on Artemisia abrotanum extract‐modified graphene oxide (Pd NPs/RGO‐A. abrotanum) hybrid material has been used as a recoverable and heterogeneous nanocatalyst for the catalytic reduction of various dyes, including methylene blue, methyl orange and rhodamine B, in the presence of NaBH₄ as reducing agent in aqueous medium at room temperature. With the help of UV–visible spectroscopy, the catalytic reactions were investigated. According to the results, these reactions followed the pseudo‐first‐order rate equation.     

One‐pot multicomponent synthesis of novel 2‐(piperazin‐1‐yl) quinoxaline and benzimidazole derivatives,using a novel sulfamic acid functionalized Fe3O4 MNPs as highly effective nanocatalyst

The immobilization of sulfonic acid on the surface of Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) as a novel acid nanocatalyst has been successfully reported. The morphological features, thermal stability, magnetic properties, and other physicochemical properties of the prepared superparamagnetic core–shell (Fe₃O₄@PFBA–Metformin@SO₃H) were thoroughly characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS), field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis–differential thermal analysis (TGA‐DTA), atomic force microscopy (AFM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) techniques. It was applied as an efficient and reusable catalyst for the synthesis of 2‐(piperazin‐1‐yl) quinoxaline and benzimidazole derivatives via a one‐pot multiple‐component cascade reaction under green conditions. The results displayed the excellent catalytic activity of Fe₃O₄@PFBA–metformin@SO₃H as an organic–inorganic hybrid nanocatalyst in condensation and multicomponent Mannich‐type reactions. The easy separation, simple workup, excellent stability, and reusability of the nanocatalyst and quantitative yields of products and short reaction time are some outstanding advantages of this protocol.     

Chemical Immobilization of Heteropolyacid Catalyst on Inorganic Mesoporous Material for use as an Oxidation Catalyst

Recent progress on the chemical immobilization of heteropolyacid (HPA) catalyst on inorganic mesoporous material is reported in this review. Mesostructured cellular foam silica, mesoporous carbon, and nitrogen-containing mesoporous carbon were used as supporting materials. The mesoporous materials were modified to have a positive charge, and thus, to provide sites for the immobilization of HPA catalyst. By taking advantage of the overall negative charge of heteropolyanion, the HPA catalyst was chemically immobilized on the surface-modified mesoporous material as a charge-compensating component. Characterization results showed that the HPA catalyst was finely and molecularly dispersed on the surface of mesoporous material via strong chemical immobilization, and that the pore structure of mesoporous material was still maintained even after the immobilization of HPA catalyst. The supported HPA catalysts were applied to the model vapor-phase ethanol conversion, 2-propanol conversion, and methacrolein oxidation reactions. The supported HPA catalyst showed a better oxidation catalytic activity than the unsupported HPA catalyst in the model reactions. The enhanced oxidation catalytic performance of the supported HPA catalyst was attributed to the finely dispersed HPA catalyst, which was chemically immobilized on the positive site of mesoporous material by sacrificing its proton (Brönsted acid site). The HPA catalyst chemically immobilized on mesoporous material served as an excellent oxidation catalyst.     

Ni3FeN‐Supported Fe3Pt Intermetallic Nanoalloy as a High‐Performance Bifunctional Catalyst for Metal–Air Batteries

Electrocatalysts for both the oxygen reduction and evolution reactions (ORR and OER) are vital for the performances of rechargeable metal–air batteries. Herein, we report an advanced bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst consisting of porous metallic nickel‐iron nitride (Ni₃FeN) supporting ordered Fe₃Pt intermetallic nanoalloy. In this hybrid catalyst, the bimetallic nitride Ni₃FeN mainly contributes to the high activity for the OER while the ordered Fe₃Pt nanoalloy contributes to the excellent activity for the ORR. Robust Ni₃FeN‐supported Fe₃Pt catalysts show superior catalytic performance to the state‐of‐the‐art ORR catalyst (Pt/C) and OER catalyst (Ir/C). The Fe₃Pt/Ni₃FeN bifunctional catalyst enables Zn–air batteries to achieve a long‐term cycling performance of over 480 h at 10 mA cm⁻² with high efficiency. The extraordinarily high performance of the Fe₃Pt/Ni₃FeN bifunctional catalyst makes it a very promising air cathode in alkaline electrolyte.