Activity of amino-functionalised mesoporous solid bases in microwave-assisted condensation reactions

Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Pyridine Periodic Mesoporous Organosilicas and Its Catalytic Activity in the Knoevenagel Condensation Reaction

The preparation of novel organic-inorganic hybrid mesoporous organosilica containing pyridinedicarboxamide functional groups uniformly distributed inside the nanostructured pore walls has been addressed. The mesoporosity and uniformity of the synthesized nanomaterials were characterized by different techniques such as nitrogen adsorption/desorption measurements and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). Additionally, the presence of the pyridinedicarboxamide in the pore walls of the nanomaterials was assessed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), as well as ²⁹Si and ¹³C solid-state cross-polarization and magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (CP/MAS-NMR). The Knoevenagel condensation of aldehydes with active methylene compounds was carried out over the pyridinedicarboxamide functionalized mesoporous organosilica, which has been proven to be an efficient heterogeneous basic catalyst in the presence of ethanol as solvent. The catalytic activity of the investigated materials was investigated in the Knoevenagel condensation between malononitrile and several benzaldehyde derivatives exhibiting a high conversion (>90%) and excellent selectivity toward the final condensation products under very mild reaction conditions. Furthermore, the catalyst stability is noteworthy as it could be recycled and reused at least twelve times without any significant change in the performance.

Investigation of Hexagonal Mesoporous Silica-Supported Composites for Trace Moisture Adsorption

Moisture control is an important part of effective maintenance program for gas-insulated switchgear (GIS). Herein, hexagonal mesoporous silica (HMS) materials were synthesized by adopting dodecylamine as a structure directing agent, which was then employed as a host for supporting polyethylenimine (PEI) without further calcinations or extraction treatment. The physicochemical properties of the silica support and composites were characterized, and the moisture adsorption capacity of these composites was determined. The reserved template agents resulted in a dramatic improvement in moisture adsorption amount. Among them, 50PEI/DHMS showed the highest adsorption value. The enhanced adsorption could be attributed to the generated hydrogen bonding between amino groups and H2O molecules and the improved diffusion of moisture into the bulk networks of PEI polymers due to its better spatial dispersion imposed by the long alkyl chains of template agents, which was confirmed by thermogravimetry results and hydrogen efficiency analysis. Moreover, the maintained terminal amino groups of templates could also function as active sites for moisture adsorption. The results herein imply that the PEI/DHMS composites could be appealing materials for capturing moisture in GIS.

Design and fabrication of mesoporous heterogeneous basic catalysts

Recent advances in mesoporous solid bases were reviewed, and fundamental principles of how to fabricate efficient basic catalysts were highlighted.