Magnetically Separable Nanocatalysts: Bridges between Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Catalysis

Adhesive functionalized ascorbic acid on CoFe2O4: a core–shell nanomagnetic heterostructure for the synthesis of aldoximes and amines

This paper reports on the simple synthesis of novel green magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with effective catalytic properties and reusability. These heterogeneous nanocatalysts were prepared by the anchoring of Co and V on the surface of CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticles coated with ascorbic acid (AA) as a green linker. The prepared nanocatalysts have been identified by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray atomic mapping, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray powder diffraction, vibrating sample magnetometer analysis, coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The impact of CoFe₂O₄@AA-M (Co, V) was carefully examined for NH₂OH·HCl oximation of aldehyde derivatives first and then for the reduction of diverse nitro compounds with sodium borohydride (NaBH₄) to the corresponding amines under green conditions. The catalytic efficiency of magnetic CoFe₂O₄@AA-M (Co, V) nanocatalysts was investigated in production of different aldoximes and amines with high turnover numbers (TON) and turnover frequencies (TOF) through oximation and reduction reactions respectively. Furthermore, the developed environment-friendly method offers a number of advantages such as high turnover frequency, mild reaction conditions, high activity, simple procedure, low cost and easy isolation of the products from the reaction mixture by an external magnetic field and the catalyst can be reused for several consecutive runs without any remarkable decrease in catalytic efficiency.

Heterogeneous catalysts were prepared by the anchoring of cobalt and vanadium on the surface of CoFe₂O₄ coated with ascorbic acid.

Synthesis and characterization of a novel manganese ferrite–metal organic framework MIL-101(Cr) nanocomposite as an efficient and magnetically recyclable sonocatalyst

A magnetic MnFe₂O₄/MIL-101(Cr) nanocomposite was synthesized and applied as a novel sonocatalyst for enhanced degradation of organic dye pollutants.

Magnetic Nanoparticle Supported Ionic Liquid Phase Catalyst for Oxidation of Alcohols

A new magnetic nanoparticle supported ionic liquid phase (SILP) catalyst containing perruthenate anions was prepared by a multistep procedure. The various analytical techniques such as FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, and vibrating sample magnetometer analysis ascertained the successful formation of catalyst. The performance of a magnetically retrievable SILP catalyst was evaluated in the selective oxidation of alcohols. The split test and leaching studies of the SILP catalyst confirmed its heterogeneous nature. In addition, the reusability potential of SILP catalyst was also investigated which revealed its robust activity up to six consecutive cycles.

Linear β-amino alcohol catalyst anchored on functionalized magnetite nanoparticles for enantioselective addition of dialkylzinc to aromatic aldehydes

A linear β-amino alcohol ligand, previously found to be a very efficient catalyst for enantioselective addition of dialkylzinc to aromatic aldehydes, has been anchored on differently functionalized superparamagnetic core–shell magnetite–silica nanoparticles (1a and 1b). Its catalytic activity in the addition of dialkylzinc to aldehydes has been evaluated, leading to promising results, especially in the case of 1b for which the recovery by simple magnetic decantation and reuse was successfully verified.

The catalytic activity of a linear β-amino alcohol ligand anchored on functionalized magnetite/silica core–shell nanoparticles has been evaluated in the addition of dialkylzinc to aldehydes leading to promising results.

Greener synthesis of 1,2,3-triazoles using a copper(i)-exchanged magnetically recoverable β-zeolite as catalyst

A novel magnetically recoverable Cu(i)-exchanged β-zeolite catalyst was prepared, characterized and applied for the synthesis of 1,2,3-triazoles via the one-pot three-component reaction.

Synthesis of nanomagnetic sulphonated impregnated Ni/Mn/Na2SiO3 as catalyst for esterification of palm fatty acid distillate

The deterioration of the environment due to anthropogenic disturbances has become a major concern to scientists and engineers. This study responds to the concern by developing a novel nanomagnetic carbonaceous solid acid catalyst using empty fruit bunches (EFBs) as a precursor. The EFB was sulphonated to obtain acidic EFBs (AEFBs). The impregnation method was performed to incorporate metal oxides, namely, NiO, MnO and Na₂SiO₃, on the AEFBs. This process resulted in three nanomagnetic catalysts, namely, Na₂SiO₃–NiO–MnO/AC, NiO–MnO/AC and NiO/AC. According to X-ray diffraction analysis, the crystal size of the NiO/AC, NiO–MnO/AC and Na₂SiO₃–NiO–MnO/AC catalysts were 13.87, 28.38 and 39.64 nm, respectively, whereas their Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface areas were 23.78, 12.69 and 16.8 m² g⁻¹, respectively. To confirm the incorporation of active metallic species (Ni, Mn, Na and SiO) into the carbon surface, we performed X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. TPD-NH₃ absorption showed that the Na₂SiO₃–Ni–MnO/AC catalysts substantially increased in the active sites and exhibited higher acidity. FESEM images showed the morphology of the surface, pore sizes and agglomeration of the catalysts. Moreover, the vibrating sample magnetometer depicted that the Na₂SiO₃–Ni–MnO/AC catalyst was ferrimagnetic with magnetisation and magnetic saturation values of 40.27 and 86.04 emu g⁻¹, respectively. The optimal reaction conditions were as follows: PFAD/methanol ratio of 16 : 1, 2 wt% mass of the catalyst, temperature of 120 °C and time of 4 h. Using the synthesised nanomagnetic catalyst exhibited 96% conversion of PFAD to methyl esters. Furthermore, the Na₂SiO₃–Ni–MnO/AC catalyst was easily separated from the reaction mixture using an external magnet and was recycled six times. The modified nanomagnetic catalyst could be an efficient catalyst for discarded feedstocks for biodiesel production.

The acidic EFB was doped with magnetic oxides to produce sulphonated nanomagnetic catalysts for biodiesel production from palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD).

Fast Degradation of Bisphenol A in Water by Nanostructured CuNPs@CALB Biohybrid Catalysts

Copper nanoparticles-enzyme biohybrid is a promising material for the remediation of contaminated waters, but its function is influenced by its effect on degradation organic pollutants. This study is the first investigation into the fast degradation of a high amount of Bisphenol A (BPA) in water at neutral pH and room temperature. Four different CuNPs biohybrids with different cu species and nanoparticle sizes were used as catalysts. The biohybrid CuNPs@CALB-3, which contained Cu₂O nanoparticles of around 10 nm size, showed excellent catalytic performance removing >95% BPA content (45 ppm) in an aqueous solution in 20 min in the presence of hydrogen peroxide at pH 8 using 1.5 g/L of a catalyst. The catalyst showed excellent stability and recyclability at these conditions.

Facile assembly of bifunctional, magnetically retrievable mesoporous silica for enantioselective cascade reactions

An integrated immobilization to encapsulate the Pd/C-coated magnetic nanoparticles within the chiral Ru/diamine-functionalized silica shell for the construction of a bifunctional magnetic catalyst is developed. This catalyst realizes a synergistic Suzuki cross-coupling/asymmetric transfer hydrogenation and a successive reduction/asymmetric transfer hydrogenation for the preparation of chiral aromatic alcohols.

Metal Nanoparticles as Green Catalysts

Nanoparticles play a significant role in various fields ranging from electronics to composite materials development. Among them, metal nanoparticles have attracted much attention in recent decades due to their high surface area, selectivity, tunable morphologies, and remarkable catalytic activity. In this review, we discuss various possibilities for the synthesis of different metal nanoparticles; specifically, we address some of the green synthesis approaches. In the second part of the paper, we review the catalytic performance of the most commonly used metal nanoparticles and we explore a few roadblocks to the commercialization of the developed metal nanoparticles as efficient catalysts.

Fabrication of multifunctional integrated catalysts by decorating confined Ag nanoparticles on magnetic nanostirring bars

Catalysis benefits from biomimetic materials with sophisticated structures because a variety of functions can be integrated into one structure, satisfying the demands of a diverse range of applications. Magnetic catalysts have been widely used in various applications, but the magnetic components are most commonly used for recycling. In this study, we report the fabrication of magnetic nanocatalysts composed of a support of magnetic nanobars and Ag nanoparticles confined between two silica layers. Notably, the catalysts are constructed as nanoscale stirring bars that are able to generate disturbances at this scale. More importantly, the catalysts can be applied in both macro- and micro-systems, effectively addressing the conventional mixing method. The catalysts can then be conveniently separated from the system after use. The performances of magnetic nanoscale catalysts are well maintained through recycling.

Palladium Nanocatalysts on Hydroxyapatite: Green Oxidation of Alcohols and Reduction of Nitroarenes in Water

A green procedure is described for supporting Pd nanoparticles on hydroxyapatite (HAP), which serves as a highly-stable heterogeneous catalyst displaying excellent activity for the aqueous expeditious reduction of nitroaromatics to the corresponding amines with sodium borohydride, and oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols by hydrogen peroxide with high yields and selectivities. The structural features of the prepared catalyst are confirmed by latest techniques including field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The reusability of the heterogeneous catalyst was affirmed in the aqueous reduction of nitrobenzene and oxidation of cycloheptanol for six consecutive runs without significant loss of catalytic activity.

Reduction of nitroarenes catalyzed by microgel-stabilized silver nanoparticles

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylamide) (PNA-BIS-2) microgels were synthesized by free radical precipitation polymerization in aqueous medium. Spherical Ag nanoparticles with diameter of 10-20 nm were fabricated inside the PNA-BIS-2 microgels by in-situ reduction of silver nitrate using sodium borohydride as reducing agent. The Ag nanoparticles- loaded hybrid microgels were characterized by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), Ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV Visible), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Ag contents in the hybrid system were determined by inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Various nitroarenes were successfully converted into their respective aromatic amines with good to excellent yields (ranging from 75% to 97%) under mild reaction conditions. The catalyst has ability to successfully convert substituted nitroarenes into desired products keeping many functionalities intact. The catalyst can be stored for long time without any sign of aggregation and can be used multiple times without any significant loss in its catalytic activity.

Fabrication of Magnetic Pd/MOF Hollow Nanospheres with Double-Shell Structure: Toward Highly Efficient and Recyclable Nanocatalysts for Hydrogenation Reaction

MNPs@MOF catalysts obtained by encapsulating metal nanoparticles (NPs) into metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) show fascinating performance in heterogeneous catalysis. The improvement of catalytic activity and reusability of MNPs@MOF catalysts has been a great challenge for a long time. Herein, we demonstrate well-designed Pd/MOFs, featuring hollow double-shell structure and magnetic property, exhibiting high reusability, efficient catalytic activity, and size selectivity for hydrogenation reaction. The as-synthesized Pd/MOF, denoted as Void nFe₃O₄@Pd/ZIF-8@ZIF-8, possesses diverse functional structural features. The hollow cavity can improve mass transfer; superparamagnetic Fe₃O₄ NPs embedded in the inner MOF shell can enhance the separation and recyclability; Pd NPs are highly dispersed in the matrix of the inner MOF shell, and the outer MOF shell acts as a protector to prevent the leaching of Pd NPs and a sieve to achieve size selectivity. As a proof of concept, the Void nFe₃O₄@Pd/ZIF-8@ZIF-8 catalyst exhibited excellent performance for the hydrogenation of styrene at room temperature. The activity only reduced 10% after 20 cycles for the higher conversions (>90%), and the lower conversion only decreased 3.6% (from 32.5 to 28.9% conversion) after twenty consecutive cycles, indicating the good and intrinsic reusability of the catalyst. The proposed structure in this work provides a strategy to effectively improve the reusability of MNPs@MOF catalysts, which would increase their practical applications.

Magnetically retrievable ferrite nanoparticles in the catalysis application

In the present review, we summarized the applications of magnetic spinel ferrite nanoparticles as catalysts in organic reactions and transformations. Catalytic applications are comprised of using mostly cobalt, nickel, copper, and zinc ferrites, along with their mixed-metal combinations based on nano ferrites. The spinel ferrites (SFs) are gained principally by wet-chemical, sol-gel or co-precipitation methods, more infrequently by the mechanical high-energy ball milling, spark plasma sintering, sonochemical technique, microwave heating or hydrothermal route. Catalytic processes with the application of ferrite nanoparticles are included decomposition (in particular photocatalytic), reactions of dehydrogenation, oxidation, alkylation, CC coupling, removing organic/inorganic contaminants from aqueous solutions. As significant and remarkable advantages, ferrite nanocatalysts not only are environmentally benign and compatible with green chemistry aspects but also can be simply recovered from reaction systems and recycled up to several times almost without significant loss of their catalytic activity.

In Situ Immobilized Silver Nanoparticles on Rubia tinctorum Extract-Coated Ultrasmall Iron Oxide Nanoparticles: An Efficient Nanocatalyst with Magnetic Recyclability for Synthesis of Propargylamines by A3 Coupling Reaction

This research suggests a green method for synthesizing hybrid magnetic nanocomposites that can be used as a reductant and a stabilizing agent for immobilizing metal nanoparticles (NPs). The central idea is the modification of magnetic NPs using Rubia tinctorum extract, which consists of numerous carbonyl and phenolic hydroxyl functional groups to increase adsorption of metals and chelate silver ions, and decrease the adsorption of silver ions by Ag NPs, in situ. Thus, the suggested catalyst preparation process does not require toxic reagents, additional reductants, and intricate instruments. To show the effectiveness of the plant extract in reducing and immobilizing Ag NPs, the structural, morphological, and physicochemical features of the particles are studied using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, X-ray diffraction analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. One of the advantages of the suggested method is to reduce the size of the magnetic NPs from 15-20 to 2-5 nm, in the presence of the extract. Additionally, the prepared Fe3O4@R. tinctorum/Ag nanocatalyst is demonstrated to exhibit a very high activity in the catalysis of the three-component reaction of aldehydes, amines, and alkynes (A3 coupling) with good to high yields of diverse propargylamines. Moreover, the nanocatalyst can be recovered several times with no considerable leaching or loss of performance.

Non-biodegradable polymeric waste pyrolysis for energy recovery

Nowadays, increasing population, widespread urbanization, rise in living standards together with versatile use of polymers have caused non-biodegradable polymeric wastes affecting the environment a chronic global problem, simultaneously, the existing high energy demand in our society is a matter of great concern. Hence forth, this review article provides an insight into the technological approach of pyrolysis emphasizing catalytic pyrolysis for conversion of polymeric wastes into energy products and presents an alternative waste management technique which is a leap towards developing sustainable environment. Pyrolysis of waste non-biodegradable polymer materials involves controlled thermal decomposition in the absence of oxygen, cracking their macromolecules into lower molecular weight ones, resulting into the formation of a wide range of products from hydrogen, hydrocarbons to coke. Nanocatalyzed pyrolysis is a recommended solution to the low thermal conductivity of polymers, promoting faster reactions in breaking the C-C bonds at lower temperatures, denoting less energy consumption and enabling enhancement in the process selectivity, whereby higher value added products are generated with increased yield. Nanotechnology plays an indispensable role in academic research as well as in industrial applications. Existing reviews illustrate that one of the oldest application field of nanotechnology is in the arena of nanocatalysis. Nanocatalysis closes the gap between homo and heterogeneous catalyses while combines their advantageous characteristics and positive aspects, reducing the respective drawbacks. During the current nanohype, nanostructured catalysts are esteemed materials and their exploration provide promising solutions for challenges from the perspective of cost and factors influencing catalytic activity, due to their featured high surface area to volume ratio which render enhanced properties with respect to the bulk catalyst.

Magnetic Fluorescence Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Based on FeOx/ZnS Nanocomposites for Highly Selective Sensing of Bisphenol A

In this study, magnetic fluorescence molecularly imprinted polymers were fabricated and used for the selective separation and fluorescence sensing of trace bisphenol A (BPA) in environmental water samples. The carboxyl-functionalized FeO_x magnetic nanoparticles were conjugated with mercaptoethylamine-capped Mn²⁺ doped ZnS quantum dots to prepare magnetic FeO_x and ZnS quantum dot nanoparticles (FeO_x/ZnS NPs). Additionally, molecular imprinting on the FeO_x/ZnS NPs was employed to synthesize core-shell molecularly imprinted polymers. The resulting nanoparticles were well characterized using transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectra, vibrating sample magnetometer and fluorescence spectra, and the adsorption behavior was investigated. Binding experiments showed that the molecularly imprinted FeO_X/ZnS NPs (FeO_x/ZnS@MIPs) exhibited rapid fluorescent and magnetic responses, and high selectivity and sensitivity for the detection of bisphenol A (BPA). The maximum adsorption capacity of FeO_x/ZnS@MIPs was 50.92 mg·g^-1 with an imprinting factor of 11.19. Under optimal conditions, the constructed fluorescence magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers presented good linearity from 0 to 80 ng mL^-1 with a detection limit of 0.3626 ng mL^-1 for BPA. Moreover, the proposed fluorescence magnetic polymers were successfully applied to on-site magnetic separation and real-time fluorescence analysis of target molecule in real samples.