CO2-responsive Pickering emulsions stabilized by soft protein particles for interfacial biocatalysis

Pickering emulsions are emulsions stabilized by colloidal particles and serve as an excellent platform for biphasic enzymatic catalysis. However, developing simple and green strategies to avoid enzyme denaturation, facilitate product separation, and achieve the recovery of enzyme and colloidal particle stabilizers is still a challenge. This study aimed to report an efficient and sustainable biocatalysis system via a robust CO₂/N₂-responsive Pickering oil-in-water (o/w) emulsion stabilized solely by pure sodium caseinate (NaCas), which was made naturally in a scalable manner. The NaCas-stabilized emulsion displayed a much higher reaction efficiency compared with conventional CO₂/N₂-responsive Pickering emulsions stabilized by solid particles with functional groups from polymers or surfactants introduced to tailor responsiveness, reflected by the fact that most enzymes were transferred and enriched at the oil–water interface. More importantly, the demulsification, product separation, and recycling of the NaCas emulsifier as well as the enzyme could be facilely achieved by alternatively bubbling CO₂/N₂ more than 30 times. Moreover, the recycled enzyme still maintained its catalytic activity, with a conversion yield of more than 90% after each cycle, which was not found in any of the previously reported CO₂-responsive systems. This responsive system worked well for many different types of oils and was the first to report on a protein-based CO₂/N₂-responsive emulsion, holding great promise for the development of more sustainable, green chemical conversion processes for the food, pharmaceutical, and biomedical industries.

An unprecedented strategy was proposed for recycled interfacial biocatalysis in a CO₂-responsive emulsion stabilized by soft protein particles. The recycled enzyme maintained its catalytic activity, with a conversion yield over 90% after 30 cycles.     

Hydrogen storage and delivery: immobilization of a highly active homogeneous catalyst for the decomposition of formic acid to hydrogen and carbon dioxide

The homogeneous catalytic system, based on water-soluble ruthenium(II)–TPPTS catalyst (TPPTS = meta-trisulfonated triphenylphosphine), selectively decomposes HCOOH into H₂ and CO₂ in aqueous solution. Although this reaction results in only two gas products, heterogeneous catalysts could be advantageous for recycling, especially for dilute formic acid solutions, or for mobile, portable applications. Several approaches have been used to immobilize/solidify the homogeneous ruthenium–TPPTS catalyst based on ion exchange, coordination and physical absorption. The activity of the various heterogeneous catalysts for the decomposition of formic acid has been determined. These heterogenized catalysts offer the advantage of easy catalyst separation/recycling in dilute formic acid, or for mobile, portable applications.     

Oxidation of 2,3,5-trimethylphenol to 2,3,5-trimethylbenzoquinone with aqueous hydrogen peroxide in the presence of spinel CuCo2O4

The catalytic oxidation of 2,3,5-trimethylphenol was carried out with aqueous hydrogen peroxide over spinel CuCo₂O₄; under the mild conditions, this study realized 80% selectivity for 2,3,5-trimethylquinone at 100% conversion of 2,3,5-trimethylphenol. The catalyst was investigated by XRD, TEM, UV–vis and FT-IR; and the reaction has been studied by different parameters like performance of different catalysts, effect of aqueous hydrogen peroxide, reaction time, reaction temperature, solvents, catalyst concentration, catalyst separation, and recycling of catalyst. Compared to the conventional methods, this method could be more eco-friendly.     

Synthesis of 2, 2, 4-trimethyl-1, 3-pentaerediol monoisobutyrate catalyzed by homogeneous catalysis-liquid/liquid separation catalytic system based on Bibasic sites Ionic Liquids

Herein a novel homogeneous catalysis-liquid/liquid separation catalytic system based on 1, 8-diazabicyclo-[5.4.0] undec-7-ene (DBU)-functionalized, 1, 1, 3, 3-tetramethyl guanidine-functionalized and imidazolium-functionalized bibasic sites ionic liquids (BSILs) ([HDBU]IM, [Aemim]IM, [TMG]IM, [Aemim]Pro, [Aemim]Gly, [HDBU]Pro and [HDBU]Gly) with a room temperature liquid/liquid phase transition characteristic were reported. And for the first time, this novel catalytic system was employed for the synthesis of 2, 2, 4-trimethyl-1, 3-pentaerediol monoisobutyrate (CS-12), achieving homogeneous catalysis, easy recycling and long service-life of the catalyst. Additionally, the mechanism of homogeneous catalysis-biphasic separation might be explained by the solubility of reactant and product in BSILs/H₂O catalytic system and the existence H-bonding between BSILs and H₂O. Bibasic sites were confirmed by two endothermic peaks on the TG-DCS curve of [Aemim]IMC (the CO₂ captured by [Aemim]IM).     

Hollow nanoshell-sphere Fe@Fe/Pd reactors: a magnetically recoverable catalyst for the C<Subscript>sp</Subscript>–S cross-coupling reactions in water

The hollow Pd–PVP–Fe nanosphere and Fe–PVP nanoparticle catalysts were synthesized by thermal method. Mixing of two metallic nanocatalysts was applied in the C_sp–S cross-coupling reactions between diphenyl disulfide and phenylacetylene under mild conditions in water. Results show that bi-catalytic system has higher catalytic efficiencies than their monocatalytic systems due to synergy between two catalysts. Order of adding two metallic catalysts were adjusted into the coupling reaction medium. Therefore, various bi-catalytic systems were obtained and characterized by XRD, SEM, EBSD, EDX, UV–Vis spectra, and particle size analyzer. Under special order of adding, the obtained hollow nanoshell-sphere Fe@Fe/Pd reactor showed higher catalytic activity in the coupling reaction compared to other bi-catalytic systems. The C_sp–S coupling products obtained of various diaryl disulfides and phenylacetylene at presence Fe@Fe/Pd (only 7.3?×?10^?5 mmol Pd) catalyst with moderate to high yields in water solvent and mild reaction conditions. After the reaction, the catalyst/product(s) separation could be easily achieved with an external magnet and more than 95% of catalyst could be recovered. The recovered catalyst was characterized by XRD, SEM, EBSD, EDX, and UV–Vis spectra. The Fe@Fe/Pd was reused at least six repeating cycles without any loss of its high catalytic activity. Tuning morphology and chemical composition of bi-catalytic system are key mainstays of high activity of Fe@Fe/Pd in repeating cycles of cross-coupling reactions.     

Efficient transesterification 4-hydroxytetrahydropyran immobilized lipase resolution of 2-（4-chlorophenyl）- with magnetically separable

We report an efficient kinetic resolution of racemic 2-（4-chlorophenyl）-4-hydroxytetrahydro-pyran （CLP-4-HTHP） via Pseudomonas cepacia lipase （PSL）-catalyzed transesterification, where PSL is immobilized on a core-shell MnFe204@SiO2-（CH2）3-NH2 carrier and used as a magnetically separable catalyst. The as-synthesized PSL/MnFe204@SiO2-（CH2）3-NH2 catalyst exhibits enhanced catalytic activity for resolving racemic CLP-4-HTHP to the corresponding optically pure （2R,4S）-CLP-4-HTHP compared to the free PSL. The ees for the former is 2.3 times larger than that for the latter under optimized conditions （99.4% and 44.1%, respectively）, although the eep for them are same （99.2%）. Meanwhile, the PSL/MnFe204@SiO2-（CH2）3-NH2 catalyst possesses a high saturate magnetization of 59.7 emu/g and could be easily recovered by magnetic separation and reused. The catalytic activity in six recycling tests did not significantly decrease, suggesting its great potential for industrial applications.     

Fabrication of silver nanoparticles in pH responsive polymer microgel dispersion for catalytic reduction of nitrobenzene in aqueous medium

Copolymer microgels based on N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and methacrylic acid (MAA) have been synthesized by free radical emulsion polymerization using N,N-methylenebisacrylamide (BIS) as a cross-linker. Synthesized microgels were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Then silver nanoparticles were fabricated in the synthesized microgels by in-situ reduction of AgNO₃ with NaBH₄. The formation of silver nanoparticles was confirmed by UV–Vis spectroscopy. The pH sensitivity of the copolymer microgels was investigated using dynamic light scattering technique (DLS). Hydrodynamic radius of P (NIPAM–MAA) microgels increases with increase in pH of the medium at 25°C. Surface plasmon resonance wavelength (λ_SPR) of silver nanoparticles increases with increase in hydrodynamic radius due to change in pH of the medium. The catalytic activity for the reduction of nitrobenzene (NB), an environmental pollutant, into aniline was investigated by UV–Vis spectroscopy in excess of NaBH₄ using hybrid microgels as catalyst. The value of apparent rate constant (k_app) of the reaction was calculated using pseudo first order kinetic model and it was found to be linearly related to the amount of catalyst. The results were compared with literature data. The system was found to be an effective catalyst for conversion of NB into aniline.     

Application of emulsion liquid membranes to recover cobalt ions from a dual-component sulphate solution containing nickel ions

Emulsion liquid membranes (ELMs) containing 2-ethylhexyl phosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester (PC-88A) have been applied to recover cobalt II ions from a dilute sulphate solution containing equal amounts of nickel II ions (0.16 g/l). We focused on the study to develop an effective technique to recover cobalt as a target metal. It is found that polyamine (PX 100) membranes allow better permeation rates of cobalt ions than sorbitan monooleate (Span 80) membranes. The separation factor (β_Co/Ni) in polyamine membranes averaged 70 at a carrier concentration of 12 mol/m³ and feed solution pH 5.5. The permeation rate of Co II was found to increase proportionately with feed pH while for Ni II it decreased substantially at pH above 5.5 indicative of slower interfacial reaction rate. We found that short contact time (4–6 min) of feed solution and emulsion improved separation factor (β_Co/Ni) at feed pH above 5.5 and also minimized chances of emulsion break up. We have also observed that Span 80 membranes are hydrolyzed readily in a moderate acidic sulphate solution (pH 4.0–5.5) to form viscous gels. Results have shown that excess carrier [(HR)₂] affects the stability of emulsion and thus the separation factor. The critical ratio of carrier to emulsifier [(HR)₂]/[C_sf] was found to be approximately 0.5. This paper concludes with a discussion on the prospects of ELM system in practical use.     

Dy(OTf)3 in ionic liquid: an efficient catalytic system for reactions of indole with aldehydes/ketones or imines

Dy(OTf)₃ immobilized in ionic liquids was found to be an efficient catalytic system for the reactions of indole with aldehydes/ketones or imines. Enhanced activity was observed. The use of ionic liquids as the reaction media allows facile separation and recycling of the catalyst.     

Polymeric aluminum porphyrin: Controllable synthesis of ultra-low molecular weight CO2-based polyols

Carbon dioxide-based polyols with ultra-low molecular weight (ULMW, M_n < 1000 g/mol) are emergent polyurethane precursors with economic and environmental benefits. However, the lack of effective proton-tolerant catalytic systems limits the development of this field. In this work, the polymeric aluminum porphyrin catalyst (PAPC) system was applied to the copolymerization of CO₂ and propylene oxide, where sebacic acid, bisphenol A, poly(ethylene glycol), and water were used as chain transfer agents to achieve the controlled synthesis of CO₂-polyols. The molecular weight of the resulting CO₂-polyols could be facilely regulated in the range of 400–930 g/mol at low catalyst loadings, fully demonstrating its catalytic advantages of high activity, high product selectivity, and excellent proton tolerance of PAPC. Meanwhile, the catalytic efficiency of PAPC could reach up to 2.1–5.2 kg/g under organic CTA conditions, even reaching 1.9 kg/g using water as the CTA. The cPC content could be controlled within 1.0 wt% under the optimized conditions, indicating the excellent controllability of the PAPC system. ULMW CO₂-polyols combines the advantages of low viscosity (∼3000 mPa s at 25 °C), low glass transition temperature (∼−73 °C), and high carbonate unit content (∼40%), which is important for the development of high-performance polyurethanes.     

Recycling of osmium catalyst in oxidative olefin cleavage: a chemoentrapment approach

A new chemoentrapment strategy for recycling osmium in the catalytic olefin cleavage reaction is reported. The new strategy utilizes KOH/i-PrOH to generate water-soluble Os(VI) species as a recyclable metal catalyst after the oxidative cleavage reaction. For the recycling of the catalyst, NaIO₄-NaClO₂ was found to be the best combination of secondary oxidants and acetonitrile-water was chosen as an optimal solvent for the best recycling results. The new method allows for an efficient recycling of osmium in the reactions involving mono- and di-substituted olefins with 1 mol % of OsO₄ without any significant side reactions and loss of yield.     

温控聚乙二醇两相体系中纳米钯催化肉桂醛选择性加氢反应

将具有“高温混溶、室温分相”功能的聚乙二醇4000(PEG₄₀₀₀)与甲苯-正庚烷组成的两相体系用于纳米钯催化的肉桂醛选择性加氢反应中.在优化的反应条件下,肉桂醛转化率和氢化肉桂醛选择性分别为99%和98%.钯纳米催化剂经简单分相即可与产物分离,且循环使用8次,其活性和选择性基本保持不变.     

Recyclable CuMgAl hydrotalcite for oxidative esterification of aldehydes with alkylbenzenes

A series of hydrotalcite-like compounds with various Cu:Mg:Al molar ratios were prepared by the co-precipitation method. The catalytic performance for oxidative esterification of aldehydes was investigated. X-ray diffraction, N₂ adsorption–desorption (BET), hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction (H₂-TPR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the scanning electron microscope (SEM), the transmission electron microscope and atomic absorption spectrometry were used to characterize the catalysts. The results showed that the benzyl benzoate product was obtained in good to excellent yield using tert-butyl peroxybenzoate as oxidant at 90°C under air atmosphere over Cu₂Mg₁Al₁-LDH catalyst. The catalyst can be recovered and used with 45% conversion after recycling five times. The oxidative esterification reaction in the heterogeneous system is environmentally friendly.

The Cu₂Mg₁Al₁-LDH catalyst prepared by co-precipitation method showed high catalytic activity for oxidative esterification of aldehydes. 81.0% yield of benzyl benzoate with benzaldehyde and toluene as reactants was obtained using tert-butyl peroxybenzoate as oxidant at 90°C under air atmosphere over Cu₂Mg₁Al₁-LDH catalyst. The catalyst can be recovered and used with 45% conversion after recycling five runs. The oxidative esterification reaction in the heterogeneous system is environmentally friendly.     

Proline-Catalyzed Synthesis of 5-Aryl-2-oxazolidinones from Carbon Dioxide and Aziridines Under Solvent-Free Conditions

Natural α-amino acids were proven to be ecofriendly and recyclable catalysts for the carboxylation of aziridines with CO₂ without utilization of any organic solvents or additives. Notably, a series of 5-aryl-2-oxazolidinones were obtained in good yield together with excellent chemo- and regioselectivity under mild conditions using proline as the catalyst. Notably, the catalyst could be recycled more than five times after a simple separation procedure without appreciable loss of catalytic activity. This process represents a promising strategy for homogeneous catalyst recycling.     

The synthesis of N-ethyl-n-butylamine by amines disproportionation

A synthesis of N-ethyl-n-butylamine with simple separation method in a fixed-bed reactor using CuO–NiO–PtO/γ-Al₂O₃ as the catalyst was proposed and investigated. The present catalytic system gave high activity and good selectivity, and the reaction conditions such as temperature and liquid hourly space velocity were optimized. Since no water was generated, the protocol proved to be easy to separate, and N-ethyl-n-butylamine was collected at 110 °C by distillation. The yield and the purity were 60.7 and 99.5 %, respectively.     

Manganese(III) porphyrin supported onto multi-walled carbon nanotubes for heterogeneous oxidation of synthetic textile dyes and 2,6-dimethylphenol by tert-butyl hydroperoxide

Manganese porphyrin has been supported onto multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Mn(TCPP)OAc@MWCNT) and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, FT-IR, atomic absorption and UV–vis spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and also thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The TGA curve shows that the nanocatalyst was thermally stable up to almost 350 °C. This catalyst was found to be able to oxidize different synthetic textile dyes in aqueous media over a wide pH range at ambient temperature with tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) as the oxygen source. The influence of some important parameters such as the initial pH of the dye solution, temperature and concentration of the catalyst, the oxidant and the co-catalyst were investigated. Also, the ability of this heterogeneous catalyst to oxidize 2,6-dimethylphenol (with excellent selectivity for quinone (86%)) with TBHP in acetonitrile was evaluated. The separation and recycling of the catalyst is simple and the catalyst can be used several successive cycles without significant decrease in catalytic activity.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Enyne Cyclization of 2′‐Alkenyl 2‐Alkynoates in Imidazolium‐Type Ionic Liquids

The use of [bmim][BF₄], [bmim][PF₆], and [bmim][Cl] ILs as the solvents in Pd(II)‐catalyzed enyne cyclization of 2′‐alkenyl 2‐alkynoates in the presence of cupric chloride has been investigated. The Z/E stereoselectivity of the reaction could range from 90:10 to 4:96 by tuning the amount of LiCl in ILs. After the separation of the product, the IL–catalyst mixture could be recovered by treatment with hydrochloric acid and recycled several times without an obvious loss of catalytic activity.     

Cu(II)–Schiff base complex‐functionalized magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles: a heterogeneous catalyst for various oxidation reactions

Cu(II)–Schiff base complex‐functionalized magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were prepared and characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy techniques. This compound acts as a highly active and selective catalyst for the oxidation of sulfides and thiols. These reactions can be carried out in ethanol or solvent‐free conditions in the presence of hydrogen peroxide with complete selectivity and very high conversion under mild reaction conditions. The designed catalytic system prevents effectively the over‐oxidation of sulfides to sulfones. Separation and recycling can also be easily done using a simple magnetic separation process. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Selective aerobic oxidation of alcohols catalyzed by iron chloride hexahydrate/TEMPO in the presence of silica gel

An environmentally friendly and efficient process whereby FeCl₃?6H₂O/2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine N‐oxyl (TEMPO)‐catalyzed oxidation of alcohols to the corresponding aldehydes and ketones is accomplished in the presence of silica gel using molecular oxygen or air as the terminal oxidant. The electron‐deficient benzyl alcohol was smoothly oxidized to the corresponding aldehydes with up to 99% isolated yield. It was found that silica gel not only could enhance the catalytic reaction rate but also increase the selectivity for the product. The high performance of FeCl₃?6H₂O/TEMPO catalyst system in the presence of silica gel might be attributed to the surface silanol groups. UV–visible spectra analysis showed that the Fe (III)–TEMPO complex could serve as the active intermediate species in the present catalytic system. A plausible mechanism of the catalytic system is proposed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

NH2SO3H–SiO2 as a new water‐compatible,recyclable heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of novel (α,β‐unsaturated) β‐amino ketones via aza‐Michael reaction

NH₂SO₃H–SiO₂/water as a novel catalytic system was used for the synthesis of (α,β‐unsaturated) β‐amino ketones via aza‐Michael reaction at reflux conditions. The methodology was of general applicability and the catalyst exhibited activity up to five cycles. The catalyst was characterized for the first time using FT‐IR, X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopic–energy dispersion analytical X‐ray. The stability of the catalyst was evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry and TGA/differential thermal analysis. High efficiency of the catalyst along with its recycling ability and the rather low loading demonstrated in reactions are the merits of the presented protocol. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.