Tungsten doped mesoporous SBA‐16 as novel heterogeneous catalysts for oxidation of cyclopentene to glutaric acid

Novel heterogeneous tungsten species in mesoporous silica SBA‐16 catalysts based on ship‐in‐a‐bottle methodology are originally reported for oxidizing cyclopentene (CPE) to glutaric acid (GAC) using hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). For all W‐SBA‐16 catalysts, isolated tungsten species and octahedrally coordinated tungsten oxide species are observed while WO₃ crystallites are detected for the W‐SBA‐16 catalysts with Si/ W = 5, 10, and 20. The specific surface areas and the corresponding total pore volumes decrease significantly as increasing amounts of tungsten incorporated into the pores of SBA‐16. Using tungsten‐substituted mesoporous SBA‐16 heterogeneous catalysts, high yield of GAC (55%) is achieved with low tungsten loading (for Si/W = 30, ~13 wt%) for oxidation of CPE. The W‐SBA‐16 catalysts with Si/W = 30 can be reused five times without dramatic deactivation. In fact, low catalytic activity provided by bulk WO₃ implies that the highly distributed tungsten species in SBA‐16 and the steric confinement effect of SBA‐16 are key elements for the outstanding catalytic performance.     

Cobalt Functionalization of Mesoporous Silica by Organosilane Grafting

MCM‐41, MCM‐48, and SBA‐15 have been functionalized with cobalt by grafting of different organosilane molecules and then calcined to remove the organic moieties. The materials have been characterized by N₂‐sorption, UV‐vis spectroscopy, TPR, ICP‐AES, XRD, and TGA. The nature of the formed cobalt species is dependent upon the number of amine groups in the organosilane molecules, due to the strength of the complexation. Only one amine group in the silane molecule leads to precipitation of Co₃O₄ particles during calcination, while two or more amine groups lead to the formation of cobalt silica at the surface. The obtained amount of precipitated cobalt in the samples is also dependent upon the number of amine groups and on the chain length of the silane molecules and the pore structure on the mesoporous material.     

Adsorption of Acid Dyes by Functionalized SBA‐15 Mesoporous Silica of Different Pore Lengths

SBA‐15 materials of different pore lengths and functionalized with various organic groups were synthesized by one‐pot co‐condensation and applied as adsorbents for the acid orange 12 (AO12) and acid red 73 (AR73) dyes. The materials were characterized by techniques such as X‐ray powder diffraction, nitrogen sorption isotherms, scanning electron microscopy, and infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The adsorption behaviors of the SBA‐15 materials toward AO12 and AR73 dyes were investigated by varying several factors including morphologies of adsorbents, pH of solution, functional groups on SBA‐15, and temperature. The equilibrium adsorption data agreed with Langmuir isotherms. The kinetic parameters were also calculated and the first‐order kinetic model fitted well for amino‐functionalized SBA‐15 material. The short channeling pores of the amino‐functionalized SBA‐15 platelets facilitated the diffusion of dye molecules inside the pores and prevented the aggregation of dye molecules from the blocking of the pores. To conclude, however, the adsorption capacity is dependent on the amount of amino‐loading and surface area of the SBA‐15 materials.     

Detailed Structural Characterizations of SBA‐15 and MCM‐41 Mesoporous Silicas on a High‐Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope

Using high‐resolution transmission electronic micrograph (HR‐TEM) observation, one can clearly see the pore geometry of the MCM‐41 and SBA‐15 mesoporous silicas to determine that their pore shapes are hexagonal and round, respectively. With the perpendicular orientations of the nanochannels to the electron beam, parallel line images of the (100) and (110) repeating spacings were observed. In the SBA‐15 mesoporous silicas, there are byproducts of the granular silica and disordered mesostructures, attributed to the weak hydrogen interactions between Pluronic 123 blockcopolymer and the silica species. There are also many different and significant +π disclination defects in SBA‐15 and MCM‐41 surfactant‐silica composites. The SBA‐15 with a thicker silica wall is more stable under irradiation by high‐energy electron beams compared to MCM‐41, which has thinner wall thickness. Some carbon nanostructure impurities were found in some carbon films on the metal grids.     

Composites of poly(L‐lactide‐trimethylene carbonate‐glycolide) and surface modified SBA‐15 as bone repair material

This work aims to develop novel composites from a poly(L ‐lactide‐co‐trimethylene carbonate‐co‐glycolide) (PLTG) terpolymer and mesoporous silica (SBA‐15) nanofillers surface modified by post‐synthetic functionalization. SBA‐15 first reacts with a silane coupling agent, γ‐aminopropyl‐trimethoxysilane to introduce ammonium group. PLLA chains were then grafted on the surface of SBA‐15 through ammonium initiated ring‐opening polymerization of L ‐lactide. Composites were prepared via solution mixing of PLTG terpolymer and surface modified SBA‐15. The structures and properties of pure SBA‐15, γ‐aminopropyl‐trimethoxysilane modified SBA‐15 (H₂N‐SBA‐15), PLLA modified SBA‐15 (PLLA‐NH‐SBA‐15), and PLTG/PLLA‐NH‐SBA‐15 composites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, N₂ adsorption‐desorption, differential scanning calorimetry, contact angle measurement, and mechanical testing. The results demonstrated that PLLA chains were successfully grafted onto the surface of SBA‐15 with grafting amounts up to 16 wt.%. The PLTG/PLLA‐NH‐SBA‐15 composites exhibit good mechanical properties. The tensile strength, Young's modulus, and elongation at break of the composite containing 5 wt.% of PLLA‐NH‐SBA‐15 were 39.9 MPa, 1.3 GPa, and 273.6%, respectively, which were all higher than those of neat PLTG or of the composite containing 5 wt.% of pure SBA‐15. Cytocompatibility tests showed that the composites present very low cytotoxicity.     

Epoxidation of cyclohexene with H2O2 over efficient water‐tolerant heterogeneous catalysts composed of mono‐substituted phosphotungstic acid on co‐functionalized SBA‐15

A series of Keggin‐type heteropolyacid‐based heterogeneous catalysts (Co‐/Fe‐/Cu‐POM‐octyl‐NH₃‐SBA‐15) were synthesized via immobilized transition metal mono‐ substituted phosphotungstic acids (Co‐/Fe‐/Cu‐POM) on octyl‐amino‐co‐functionalized mesoporous silica SBA‐15 (octyl‐NH₂‐SBA‐15). Characterization results indicated that Co‐/Fe‐/Cu‐POM units were highly dispersed in mesochannels of SBA‐15, and both types of Brønsted and Lewis acid sites existed in Co‐/Fe‐/Cu‐POM‐octyl‐NH₃‐SBA‐15 catalysts. Co‐POM‐octyl‐NH₃‐SBA‐15 catalyst showed excellent catalytic performance in H₂O₂‐mediated cyclohexene epoxidation with 83.8% of cyclohexene conversion, 92.8% of cyclohexene oxide selectivity, and 98/2 of epoxidation/allylic oxidation selectivity. The order of catalytic activity was Co‐POM‐octyl‐NH₃‐SBA‐15 > Fe‐POM‐octyl‐NH₃‐SBA‐15 > Cu‐POM‐octyl‐NH₃‐SBA‐15. In order to obtain insights into the role of ‐octyl moieties during catalysis, an octyl‐free catalyst (Co‐POM‐NH₃‐SBA‐15) was also synthesized. In comparison with Co‐POM‐NH₃‐SBA‐15, Co‐POM‐octyl‐NH₃‐SBA‐15 showed enhanced catalytic properties (viz. activity and selectivity) in cyclohexene epoxidation. Strong chemical bonding between ‐NH₃⁺ anchored on the surface of SBA‐15 and heteropolyanions resulted in excellent stability of Co‐POM‐octyl‐NH₃‐SBA‐15 catalyst, and it could be reused six times without considerable loss of activity.     

Unusual Fragmentation and Transformation of an N‐Heterocyclic Carbene by a Stable Phosphonium–Borane peri‐Functionalized Naphthalene

A 1‐phosphonium‐8‐borane‐decorated naphthalene molecule 2 has been found to react with N,N′‐dimethylimidazol‐2‐ylidene (IMe), a popular member of the N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) family, which converts it into two vinyl‐amine fragments one of which is trapped between the phosphonium and borane unit by the formation of a C?C and a B?N bond. The same reactivity was not observed for larger NHC molecules. Control experiments and mechanistic studies have established the involvement of an ylide–borane molecule and an imidazolium salt in addition to IMe carbene in this new transformation of an NHC.     

Copper(II)–diaminosarcophagine‐functionalized SBA‐15: a heterogeneous nanocatalyst for the synthesis of benzimidazole,benzoxazole and benzothiazole derivatives under solvent‐free conditions

Solvent‐free organic reactions were studied over periodic mesoporous silica (SBA‐15) containing a Cu(II) organometallic complex. This heterogeneous catalyst was achieved by coordination of Cu(II) ions with the diaminosarcophagine ligand and then its grafting onto the surface of SBA‐15. This catalyst displayed ordered mesoporous channels, which implies an extremely high dispersion of the Cu(II) complex and the convenient diffusion of reactant molecules into the pore channels. Therefore, this catalyst can offer high activity and also facile separation or recycling when compared with its homogeneous counterparts. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

CO2‐promoted Water‐medium Ullmann Reaction over a Pd/Phenyl‐SBA‐15 Mesoporous Catalyst

Water‐medium Ullmann reaction was carried out in CO₂ atmosphere over the mesoporous Pd/Ph‐SBA‐15 catalyst exhibiting high activity and selectivity owing to the uniform dispersion of Pd particles and hydrophobilic mesoporous channels which facilitate the diffusion and adsorption of organic molecules, especially in an aqueous medium. The CO₂ also shows promoting effect on activity and selectivity, which could be understood by considering the role of H⁺ in the mechanism of Ullmann reaction. The optimum Ph‐Ph yield (84.0%) was obtained at p=0.8 MPa and V=6.0 mL and could remain almost unchanged even after the catalyst has been used repetitively for 5 times.     

Palladium‐anchored multidentate SBA‐15/di‐urea nanoreactor: A highly active catalyst for Suzuki coupling reaction

Modification of mesoporous silica was carried out by reaction of SBA‐15 with di‐urea‐based ligand. Next, with the help of this ligand, palladium ions were anchored within the multidentate SBA‐15/di‐urea pore channels with high dispersion. The SBA‐15/di‐urea/Pd catalyst was characterized using various techniques. Theoretical calculations indicated that each palladium ion was strongly interacted with one nitrogen and two oxygen atoms from the multidentate di‐urea ligand located in SBA‐15 channels and these interactions remained during the catalytic cycle. These results are in good agreement with those of hot filtration test: the palladium ions have very high stability against leaching from the SBA‐15/di‐urea support. The catalytic performance of SBA‐15/di‐urea/Pd nanostructure was examined for the Suzuki coupling reaction of phenylboronic acid and electronically diverse aryl halides under mild conditions with a minimal amount of Pd (0.26 mol%). Compared to previous reports, this protocol afforded some advantages such as short reaction times, high yields of products, catalyst stability without leaching, easy catalyst recovery and preservation of catalytic activity for at least six successive runs.     

Adsorption of aqueous Hg (II) by a novel poly(aniline‐co‐o‐aminophenol)/mesoporous silica SBA‐15 composite

A novel poly(aniline‐co‐o‐aminophenol) (PAOA)/mesoporous silica SBA‐15 nanocomposite was synthesized and investigated for adsorption of Hg (II) from aqueous solutions of wide pH range. A chemical oxidation method was employed for polymerization of aniline and o‐aminophenol on an ordered SBA‐15 template to obtain a significantly enlarged BET surface area of the adsorbent. Efficiency study revealed that the PAOA/SBA‐15 could reach a maximum Hg (II) adsorption capacity of over 400 mg/g. Kinetic study showed that the Hg (II) adsorption by the PAOA/SBA‐15 fitted a pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model, indicating that the mercury adsorption process was predominantly controlled by chemical process. The results of this study also proved that the adsorbed Hg (II) could be effectively desorbed from the PAOA/SBA‐15 in 0.1M HCl and 5% sulfocarbonide solutions. Associated adsorption mechanism was also investigated by means of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Bio‐assisted synthesized Ag(0) nanoparticles immobilized on SBA‐15/cyclodextrin nanosponge adduct: Efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the ultrasonic‐assisted synthesis of benzopyranopyrimidines

For the first time, SBA‐15/cyclodextrin nanosponge adduct was synthesized through reaction of Cl‐functionalized SBA‐15 and amine‐functionalized cyclodextrin nanosponge (CDNS). This adduct, which benefits from features of both SBA‐15 and CDNS, was then used for immobilization of Ag(0) nanoparticles which were prepared and capped using a bio‐based approach. Ag@CDNS–SBA‐15 was applied as a heterogeneous catalyst for promoting the three‐component reaction of benzaldehydes, 4‐hydroxycoumarin and urea or thiourea under ultrasonic irradiation to furnish benzopyranopyrimidines. The reaction variables were optimized using response surface methodology. The catalytic activity of Ag@CDNS–SBA‐15 was higher than those of Ag@CDNS, Ag@SBA‐15 and Ag@SBA‐15 + CDNS, confirming the contribution of both components to catalysis as well as a synergistic effect between CDNS and SBA‐15. The role of CDNS was to accommodate the substrates and bring them to the vicinity of the Ag(0) nanoparticles. Notably the catalyst was reusable and could be recovered and reused for up to four reaction runs with slight Ag(0) leaching and loss of catalytic activity.     

Stacking Structure of Confined 1‐Butanol in SBA‐15 Investigated by Solid‐State NMR Spectroscopy

Understanding the complex thermodynamic behavior of confined amphiphilic molecules in biological or mesoporous hosts requires detailed knowledge of the stacking structures. Here, we present detailed solid‐state NMR spectroscopic investigations on 1‐butanol molecules confined in the hydrophilic mesoporous SBA‐15 host. A range of NMR spectroscopic measurements comprising of ¹H spin–lattice (T₁), spin–spin (T₂) relaxation, ¹³C cross‐polarization (CP), and ¹H,¹H two‐dimensional nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy (¹H,¹H 2D NOESY) with the magic angle spinning (MAS) technique as well as static wide‐line ²H NMR spectra have been used to investigate the dynamics and to observe the stacking structure of confined 1‐butanol in SBA‐15. The results suggest that not only the molecular reorientation but also the exchange motions of confined molecules of 1‐butanol are extremely restricted in the confined space of the SBA‐15 pores. The dynamics of the confined molecules of 1‐butanol imply that the ¹H,¹H 2D NOESY should be an appropriate technique to observe the stacking structure of confined amphiphilc molecules. This study is the first to observe that a significant part of confined 1‐butanol molecules are orientated as tilted bilayered structures on the surface of the host SBA‐15 pores in a time‐average state by solid‐state NMR spectroscopy with the ¹H,¹H 2D NOESY technique.     

A three‐dimensional polymeric potassium complex of 5‐sulfonobenzene‐1,2,4‐tricarboxylic acid: poly[μ‐aqua‐aqua‐μ9‐(2,4‐dicarboxy‐5‐sulfonatobenzoato)‐dipotassium(I)]

The asymmetric unit in the structure of the title compound, [K₂(C₉H₄O₉S)(H₂O)₂]_n, consists of two eight‐coordinated K^I cations, one 2,4‐dicarboxy‐5‐sulfonatobenzoate dianion (H₂SBTC²⁻), one bridging water molecule and one terminal coordinated water molecule. One K^I cation is coordinated by three carboxylate O atoms and three sulfonate O atoms from four H₂SBTC²⁻ ligands and by two bridging water molecules. The second K^I cation is coordinated by four sulfonate O atoms and three carboxylate O atoms from five H₂SBTC²⁻ ligands and by one terminal coordinated water molecule. The K^I cations are linked by sulfonate groups to give a one‐dimensional inorganic chain with cage‐like K₄(SO₃)₂ repeat units. These one‐dimensional chains are bridged by one of the carboxylic acid groups of the H₂SBTC²⁻ ligand to form a two‐dimensional layer, and these layers are further linked by the remaining carboxylate groups and the benzene rings of the H₂SBTC²⁻ ligands to generate a three‐dimensional framework. The compound displays a photoluminescent emission at 460 nm upon excitation at 358 nm. In addition, the thermal stability of the title compound has been studied.     

Application of Sulfonic Acid Functionalized SBA‐15 as a New Nanoporous Acid Catalyst in the Green One‐Pot Synthesis of Spirooxindole‐4H‐pyrans

Sulfonic acid functionalized SBA‐15 (SBA‐Pr‐SO₃H) as a new nanoporous solid acid catalyst was applied in the green one‐pot synthesis of spirooxindole‐4H‐pyrans via condensation of isatins, malononitrile or methyl cyanoacetate or ethyl cyanoacetate, and 4‐hydroxycoumarin in water solvent. SBA‐Pr‐SO₃H was proved to be an efficient heterogeneous nanoporous solid acid catalyst with a pore size of 6 nm that could be easily handled and removed from the reaction mixture by simple filtration and can be recovered and reused for several times without any loss of activity. The significant merits of present methodology are its simplicity, short reaction time, good yields, and environmentally benign mild reaction condition as water was used as a green solvent.     

Mesoporous SBA‐15 Silica Phenylsulfonic Acid (SBA‐15‐Ph‐SO3H) as Efficient Nanocatalyst for One‐pot Three‐component Synthesis of 3‐Methyl‐4‐aryl‐2,4,5,7‐tetrahydropyrazolo[3,4‐b]pyridine‐6‐ones

A simple, economical, and efficient approach to the one‐pot synthesis of 3‐methyl‐4‐aryl‐2,4,5,7‐tetrahydropyrazolo[3,4‐b]pyridine‐6‐ones by multicomponent assembling of 5‐methylpyrazol‐3‐amine, aldehydes, and Meldrum's acid using mesoporous silica phenylsulfonic acid (SBA‐15‐Ph‐SO₃H) as recyclable and heterogonous solid acid nanocatalyst has been described. This protocol has the advantages of high yields, wide application scope, and an environmental benign procedure.     

Pd(OAc)2@SBA‐15/PrEn nanoreactor: a highly active,reusable and selective phosphine‐free catalyst for Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling reaction in aqueous media

A series of ordered mesoporous organic–inorganic hybrid material was designed by using the amine‐functionalized SBA‐15 (PdX₂@SBA‐15/N_Y, Y = 1, 2) as solid support for palladium complexes. Among them, the Pd(OAc)₂/ethylenediamine complex encapsulated into SBA‐15 (Pd(OAc)₂@SBA‐15/PrEn or Pd(OAc)₂@SBA‐15/PrNHEtNH₂) exhibits higher activity and selectivity toward Suzuki cross‐coupling reaction under aerobic conditions and water solvent mixture. The SBA‐15/PrEn supported palladium pre‐catalyst could be separated easily from reaction products and used repetitively several times, showing its superiority over homogeneous catalysts for industrial and chemical applications. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Enhanced Formaldehyde‐Vapor Adsorption Capacity of Polymeric Amine‐Incorporated Aminosilicas

Airborne formaldehyde, which is a highly problematic volatile organic compound (VOC) pollutant, is adsorbed by polymeric amine‐incorporated silicas (aminosilicas), and the factors that affect the adsorption performance are systematically investigated. Three different types of polymeric amines 1) poly(ethyleneimine) branched (PEIBR); 2) poly(ethyleneimine) linear (PEILI); and 3) poly(allylamine) (PAA) are impregnated into two types of porous silicas [SBA‐15 and mesocellular foam (MCF) silicas] with systematic changes of the amine loadings. The adsorption results demonstrate that the adsorption capacity increases along with the amine loading until the polymeric amines completely fill the silica pores. This results in the MCF silica, which has a larger pore volume and hence can accommodate more polymeric amine before completely filling the pore, giving materials that adsorb more formaldehyde, with the largest adsorption capacity, q, of up to 5.7 mmol_HCHO g^?1 among the samples studied herein. Of the three different types of polymers, PAA, comprised of 100 % primary amines, showed the highest amine efficiency μ (mmol_HCHO/mmol_N) for capturing formaldehyde. The chemical structures of the adsorbed formaldehyde are analyzed by ¹³C cross‐polarization magic‐angle spinning (CP‐MAS) NMR, and it is demonstrated that the adsorbed formaldehyde is chemically attached to the aminosilica surface, forming hemiaminal and imine species. Because the chemical adsorption of formaldehyde forms covalent bonds, it is not desorbed from the aminosilicas below 130 °C based on temperature‐programed‐desorption (TPD) analysis. The high formaldehyde‐adsorption capacity and stability of the trapped formaldehyde on the amine surface in this study reveal the potential utility of aminosilicas as formaldehyde abatement materials.     

X‐ray induced degradation of surface bound azido groups during XPS analysis

Mesoporous silica SBA‐15 was synthesized and silanized with azidopropyl triethoxysilane in order to design a clickable material. Fourier transform infrared analysis permitted to prove the attachment of the azidopropylene groups to SBA‐15 resulting in the reactive and functional material N₃‐SBA‐15. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to determine the surface composition of SBA‐15. However, we unexpectedly found that the surface bound azido groups undergo X‐ray induced decomposition during the X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis resulting in the formation of nitrenes. These are very reactive groups able to intercalate C―C and C―H bonds of the propylene chains as judged from the N1s peak shape. Possible mechanisms of intercalation are suggested. C1s and N1s peaks were recorded at different exposure time. N/C, N⁺/N and N⁺/C undergo exponential decay. N⁺/N reaches the value of zero in less than 80 min of exposure to the X‐ray source. The N⁺/C decay plot was fitted with first‐order kinetics, and the decomposition kinetic constant (k_dec) was found to equal to 516.4 s^?1. This is a fast X‐ray induced degradation which must be considered with care when examining clickable materials with surface bound alkyl azido groups. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.