Zr-TUD-1: A novel heterogeneous catalyst for the Meerwein–Ponndorf–Verley reaction

A series of Schiff-base complexes has been synthesized by the condensation of 1,2-diaminocyclohexane with salicylaldehyde, 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde, and 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde, followed by the metallation with manganese (1, 2, 3a), cobalt (3b), copper (3c) and iron (3d) salts. These Schiff-base ligands L₁–L₃ and complexes 1, 2, 3a–d were then characterized by IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, UV–vis spectra, and DSC measurement. Schiff-base Mn complex (3a) resulting from N,N′-bis(2-hydroxy-1-naphthalidene)cyclohexanediamine (L₃) ligand was considerably active for the catalytic epoxidation of styrene under mild conditions, in which the highest yield of styrene oxide reached 91.2 mol%, notably higher than those achieved from simple salt catalysts Mn(Ac)₂·4H₂O and MnSO₄·H₂O. However, another two salen–Mn complexes 1 and 2 derived from ligands N,N′-bis(salicylidene)cyclohexanediamine (L₁) and N,N′-bis(2-pyridine carboxalidene)cyclohexanediamine (L₂) exhibited relatively poor activity under identical experimental conditions.