Ketone Hydrogenation by Using ZnO−Cu(OH)Cl/MCM‐41 with a Splash of Water: An Environmentally Benign Approach

MCM‐41‐supported ZnO?Cu(OH)Cl nanoparticles were synthesized via an incipient wetness impregnation technique using zinc chloride and copper chloride salts as well as water at room temperature. The catalyst was characterized by powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD), infrared spectroscopy (IR), and TGA, whereas surface and morphological studies were performed by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The above studies revealed the incorporation of metal species into the pores of MCM‐41, leading to a decrease in surface area of the nanoparticles that was found to be 239.079 m²/g. The substituents attached to the ketone determine the rate of the reaction, and the utilization of the green solvent ‘water’ astonishingly completes the hydrogenation reaction in 45 minutes at 40 °C with 100% conversion and 100% selectivity as analyzed by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry. Hence, ZnO?Cu(OH)Cl/MCM‐41 nanoparticles with 2.46 wt% zinc and 6.39 wt% copper were demonstrated as an active catalyst for the reduction of ketones without using any gaseous hydrogen source making it highly efficient as well as environmentally and economically benign.     

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.     

Engineering a Cu‐MOF Nano‐Catalyst by using Post‐Synthetic Modification for the Preparation of 5‐Substituted 1H‐Tetrazoles

A new nano scale Cu‐MOF has been obtained via post‐synthetic metalation by immersing a Zn‐MOF as a template in DMF solutions of copper(II) salts. The Cu‐MOF serves as recyclable nano‐catalyst for the preparation of 5‐substituted 1H‐tetrazoles via [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of various nitriles and sodium azide in a green medium (PEG). The post‐synthetic metalated MOF were characterized by FT‐IR spectroscopy, powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD), atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX) techniques. The morphology and size of the nano‐catalyst were determined by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM).     

Copper nanoparticles supported on 2‐methoxy‐1‐phenylethanone‐functionalized MCM‐41: An efficient and recyclable catalyst for one‐pot three‐component C–S coupling reaction of aryl halides with benzyl bromide and thiourea

An environmentally friendly copper‐based catalyst supported on 2‐methoxy‐1‐phenylethanone‐functionalized MCM‐41 was prepared and characterized by Fourier transform‐infrared, transmission electron microscopy, field emission‐scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction and inductively coupled plasma techniques. The catalyst was applied for the one‐pot three‐component C–S coupling reactions of aryl halides with benzyl bromide and thiourea under aerobic conditions to afford the corresponding coupled products in good yields in water. The catalyst could be recovered and recycled five times. These results prove 2‐methoxy‐1‐phenylethanone‐functionalized MCM‐41 supported Cu (II) complex was not leached during the reaction. Also it shows the correct heterogeneous nature of the catalyst.     

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.     

Oxo‐vanadium(IV) Schiff base complex supported on modified MCM‐41: a reusable and efficient catalyst for the oxidation of sulfides and oxidative S–S coupling of thiols

Oxo‐vanadium(IV) Schiff base complex supported on MCM‐41 as an organic–inorganic hybrid heterogeneous catalyst was synthesized with post‐grafting of MCM‐41 with 3‐aminoropropyltrimethoxysilane and subsequent reaction with 3,4‐dihydroxybenzaldehyde and then complexation with oxo‐vanadium acetylacetonate salt. The catalyst was analysed using a series of characterization techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, small‐angle X‐ray diffraction, nitrogen absorption isotherm, transmission electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The data collected provided evidence that the vanadium complex was anchored onto MCM‐41. High catalytic activity of this catalyst was observed in the oxidation of various sulfides and thiols (into sulfoxides and disulfides, respectively) with urea hydrogen peroxide as oxidant in high to excellent yields and selectivity under mild conditions. The heterogeneous catalyst could be recovered easily and reused several times without significant loss in catalytic activity and selectivity. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

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.     

中孔MCM-41锚合Zr（IV）-salen催化剂制备及用于硫化物氧化制亚砜和Knoevenagel缩合反应

通过NH2-MCM-41与水杨醛反应得到席夫碱配体,然后加入八水氧氯化锆形成络合物,制得Zr(IV)-salen-MCM-41催化剂。采用X射线衍射、N2吸附-脱附、热重、红外光谱、电感耦合等离子体发射光谱和能量散射谱等分析手段对催化剂结构进行了表征。在含有该催化剂的体系中进行了硫化物选择氧化为亚砜以及醛与丙二腈和氰乙酸乙酯的Knoveonagel缩合反应,并考察了催化剂的循环使用性能。     

Zirconium oxide complex‐functionalized MCM‐41 nanostructure: an efficient and reusable mesoporous catalyst for oxidation of sulfides and oxidative coupling of thiols using hydrogen peroxide

Zirconium oxide complex‐functionalized mesoporous MCM‐41 (Zr‐oxide@MCM‐41) as an efficient and reusable catalyst is reported for the oxidation of sulfides into sulfoxides using hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) as the oxidant, with short reaction times in good to excellent yields at room temperature under solvent‐free conditions. Also, a simple and efficient method is reported for the oxidative coupling of thiols into corresponding disulfides in good to high yields using H₂O₂ as oxidant in the presence of Zr‐oxide@MCM‐41 as recoverable catalyst in ethanol at room temperature. A series of sulfides and thiols possessing functional groups was successfully converted into corresponding products. After completion of reactions the catalyst was easily separated with simple filtration from the reaction mixture and reused for several consecutive runs without significant loss of catalytic efficiency. The mesoporous catalyst was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area measurements, X‐ray diffraction, transmission and scanning electron microscopies, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and Catalytic Activity of Cu-Incorporated MCM-41 with Spheres-within-a-Sphere Hollow Structure

Cu-incorporated ordered hexagonal mesoporous silicates （Cu-MCM-41） with spheres-within-a-sphere hollow structure have been synthesized using thermoreversible polymer hydrogel methylcellulose （MC） and cationic surfactant as co-templates, which have been characterized by scanning electron micrograph （SEM）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, transmission electron micrograph （TEM）, and N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms. The obtained results indicate that the morphology of Cu-incorporated MCM-41 materials is ＂spheres-within-a-sphere＂ hollow structure, which is very similar to that of the alveolus. In benzene hydroxylation with H2O2, the hollow spheres show much higher catalytic activity than particles of Cu-MCM-41.     

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].     

Magnetic nanoporous MCM‐41 supported ionic liquid/palladium complex: An efficient nanocatalyst with high recoverability

In this study, a novel magnetic mesoporous MCM‐41 silica supported ionic liquid/palladium complex (Fe₃O₄@MCM@IL/Pd) with core‐structure was prepared and characterized and its catalytic performance was developed under green conditions. The Fe₃O₄@MCM@IL/Pd was prepared via a post grafting method and was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, wide‐ and low‐angle powder X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, vibration sample magnetometer and energy‐dispersive X‐ray analyses. This was applied as an efficient and recoverable nanocatalyst for the one‐pot synthesis of pyrano[2,3‐d]pyrimidine derivatives under ultrasonic conditions. The catalyst was magnetically recovered and reused for 12 consecutive cycles without significant loss of its activity and selectivity.     

Synthesis of Ti‐MCM‐41 directly from silatrane and titanium glycolate and its catalytic activity1

Titanium is successfully incorporated in hexagonal mesoporous silica to form Ti‐MCM41 at low temperature. Silatrane and titanium glycolate synthesized from the oxide one‐pot synthesis process are used as the precursors. Using the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as a template, the resulting meso‐structure mimics the liquid‐crystal phase. The percentage of titanium loading is varied in the range 1–35%. The temperatures used in the preparation are 60 °C and 80 °C. After heat treatment, very high surface area mesoporous silica was obtained and characterized using diffuse reflectance UV (DRUV) spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), BET surface area, X‐ray fluorescence, energy dispersive spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). At 35% titanium, the titanium atom is also in the framework showing the pattern of hexagonal mesostructure, as shown by DRUV, XRD and TEM results. The surface area is extraordinarily high, up to more than 2300 m² g^?1, and the pore volume is as high as 1.3 cm³ g^?1 for a titanium loading range of 1–5%. Oxidative bromination reaction using Ti‐MCM‐41 as catalyst showed impressive results, with the 60 °C catalysts having higher activity. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Biodegradable polyester/modified mesoporous silica composites for effective bone repair with self‐reinforced properties

A series novel composites based on poly(_L‐lactide) (PLLA) oligomer modified mesoporous silica (MCM41) homogeneous dispersed into poly(_L‐lactide‐co‐trimethylene carbonate‐co‐glycolide) (PLTG) terpolymer has been successfully prepared. The structure of PLTG terpolymer was characterized by ¹H NMR. The structure and properties of modified and unmodified MCM41 were attested by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), N₂ adsorption–desorption, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM), which demonstrated that the MCM41 was successfully grafted by the PLLA oligomer. The effect of different concentration of modified MCM41 in PLTG matrix on thermal properties, mechanical properties, and hydrophilicity was investigated by TGA, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), mechanical testing, contact angle measurement, and SEM. The results of mechanical tests showed that 5 wt% of modified MCM41 nanoparticles gave rise to optimal reinforcing effect. The tensile strength, Young's modulus, and elongation at break of the PLTG/PLLA‐MCM41 (5%) composites were 33.2 Mpa, 1.58 Gpa, and 268.7%, respectively, which were all higher than the PLTG/MCM41 (5%) composites and pristine PLTG matrix, which were due to good interfacial adhesion between the PLTG matrix and MCM41 nanoparticles. TGA and DSC have shown that 5% modified MCM41 in the PLTG increased the temperature of composite degradation and T_g. Water contact angle measurement showed the hydrophilicity of the composites increases with the increase of modified MCM41 content. The live/dead assay showed that the modified MCM41 existing on the PLTG matrix presents very excellent cytocompatibility. Therefore, the novel composite material represents promising way for bone tissue engineering application.     

Phase‐Contact Engineering in Mono‐ and Bimetallic Cu‐Ni Co‐catalysts for Hydrogen Photocatalytic Materials

Understanding how a photocatalyst modulates its oxidation state, size, and structure during a photocatalytic reaction under operando conditions is strongly limited by the mismatch between (catalyst) volume sampled by light and, to date, the physicochemical techniques and probes employed to study them. A synchrotron micro‐beam X‐ray absorption spectroscopy study together with the computational simulation and analysis (at the X‐ray cell) of the light‐matter interaction occurring in powdered TiO₂‐based monometallic Cu, Ni and bimetallic CuNi catalysts for hydrogen production from renewables was carried out. The combined information unveils an unexpected key catalytic role involving the phase contact between the reduced and oxidized non‐noble metal phases in all catalysts and, additionally, reveals the source of the synergistic Cu‐Ni interaction in the bimetallic material. The experimental method is applicable to operando studies of a wide variety of photocatalytic materials.     

CuI heterogenized on thiosemicarbazide modified‐multi walled carbon nanotubes (thiosemicarbazide‐MWCNTs‐CuI): Novel heterogeneous and reusable nanocatalyst in the C‐N Ullmann coupling reactions

Herein we described the synthesis of novel thiosemicarbazide‐MWCNTs‐CuI nanocatalyst by covalent grafting of thiosemicarbazide on carbon nanotubes surface and subsequent coordination with CuI catalyst. The formation of nanocatalyst was analyzed by Raman spectroscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), wavelength‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (WDX) and ICP analysis. The morphology of the nanocatalyst was characterized using scanning and transmission electron microscopes (SEM and TEM). Additionally, the (thiosemicarbazide‐MWCNTs‐CuI) nanocatalyst was successfully employed in the N ‐arylation of indole, amines and imidazoles through intermolecular C(aryl)‐N bond formation from the corresponding aryl halides (Ar–I, Ar–Br, Ar–Cl) with amines through Ullmann‐type coupling reactions. Interestingly, the novel catalyst could be recovered and recycled five times.     

Dendrimer‐encapsulated Cu(Π) nanoparticles immobilized on superparamagnetic Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles as a novel recyclable catalyst for N‐arylation of nitrogen heterocycles and green synthesis of 5‐substituted 1H‐tetrazoles

In this study, dendrimer‐encapsulated Cu(Π) nanoparticles immobilized on superparamagnetic Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ nanoparticles were prepared via a multistep‐synthesis. Then, the synthesized composite was fully characterized by various techniques such as fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), UV‐vis spectroscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray analysis (EDX), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and vibration sample magnetometer (VSM). From the information gained by FE‐SEM and TEM studies it can be inferred that the particles are mostly spherical in shape and have an average size of 50 nm. Also, the amount of Cu is determined to be 0.51 mmol/g in the catalyst by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analyzer. This magnetic nano‐compound has been successfully applied as a highly efficient, magnetically recoverable and stable catalyst for N‐arylation of nitrogen heterocycles with aryl halides (I, Br) and arylboronic acids without using external ligands or additives. The catalyst was also employed in a one‐pot, three‐component reaction for the efficient and green synthesis of 5‐substituted 1H‐tetrazoles using various aldehydes, hydroxylamine hydrochloride and sodium azide in water. The magnetic catalyst can be easily separated by an external magnet bar and is recycled seven times without significant loss of its activity.     

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.     

Introduction of Ag/CuO/MCM‐48 as an efficient catalyst for the one‐pot synthesis of novel pyran‐pyrrole hybrids

Bimetallic silver and copper incorporated mesoporous MCM‐48 (Ag/CuO/MCM‐48) was synthesized by simple wet‐impregnation method. The knowledge about its structural properties was gathered by means of Fourier transform‐infrared, energy‐dispersive X‐ray, X‐ray diffraction, field emission‐scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analyses. The catalytic activity of Ag/CuO/MCM‐48 was examined in the one‐pot three‐component reaction of 3‐(1‐methyl‐1H‐pyrrol‐2‐yl)‐3‐oxopropanenitrile, malononitrile and various aromatic aldehydes leading to novel pyran‐pyrrole hybrid derivatives in reduced reaction times (5–10 min) and excellent yields (88–97%). Application of Ag/CuO/MCM‐48 as a potent heterogeneous catalyst with good reusability up to five times, use of ethanol as an eco‐compatible medium and chromatography‐free work‐up are some crucial green aspects of this procedure.     

Synthesis and Luminescence of Eu‐N2,N6‐Bis(2‐hydroxyethyl)pyridine‐2,6‐dicarboxamide Complexes Containing Mesoporous Material

Ligand N²,N⁶‐bis(2‐hydroxyethyl)pyridine‐2,6‐dicarboxamide (L=BHPC) was synthesized and used to construct lanthanide‐based mesoporous material Eu‐L‐MCM‐41. In the structure of resulting Eu‐L‐MCM‐41, Eu³⁺ was chelated by BHPC, and the Eu‐L complexes were anchored into the forming MCM‐41 host by the reaction between the hydroxyl group and active Si‐OH. The mesoporous material Eu‐L‐MCM‐41 was characterized by UV, IR, small‐angle X‐ray diffraction (SAXRD) patterns, nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms, TGA and fluorescence spectra. The results indicate that ligand and Eu³⁺ have been introduced into the MCM‐41 host, and Eu‐L‐MCM‐41 exhibits characteristic luminescence of Eu³⁺.