Insights into the Mechanism of Cumene Peroxidation Using Supported Gold and Silver Nanoparticles

A new highly active La2O3-CuO-MgO catalyst for the synthesis of cumyl peroxide by catalytic oxidation

In this study, different magnesium, copper, lanthanide single metal, and composite multimetal oxide catalysts were prepared via the coprecipitation route for the aerobic oxidation of cumene into cumene hydroperoxide. All catalysts were characterized using several analytical techniques, including XRD, SEM, EDS, FT-IR, BET, CO₂-TPD, XPS, and TG-DTG. La₂O₃–CuO–MgO shows higher oxidation activity and yield than other catalysts. The results of XRD and SEM studies show that the copper and magnesium particles in the catalyst are smaller in size and have a distribution over a larger area due to the introduction of the lanthanum element. The CO₂-TPD results confirmed that the catalyst has more alkali density and alkali strength, which can excite active sites and prevent the decomposition of cumene hydroperoxide. XPS results show that due to the promotional effect of La₂O₃, there are more lattice and active oxygen species in the catalyst, which can effectively utilize the lattice defects under the strong interaction between metal oxides for rapid adsorption and activation, thus improving the oxidation performance. Besides, La₂O₃–CuO–MgO exhibits good stability and crystalline structure due to its high oxygen mobility inhibiting coking during the cycle stability test. Finally, the possible reaction pathway and promotional mechanism on La₂O₃–CuO–MgO in cumene oxidation are proposed. We expect this study to shed more light on the nature of the surface-active site(s) of La₂O₃–CuO–MgO catalyst for cumene oxidation and the development of heterogeneous catalysts with high activity in a wide range of applications.

The La₂O₃–CuO–MgO catalyst acts on the oxidation of cumene and shows excellent catalytic activity through the coordination of surface and interior.

Green biomimetic synthesis of Ag-TiO2 nanocomposite using Origanum majorana leaf extract under sonication and their biological activities

BACKGROUND

Studies of plant extract-mediated synthesis of nanoparticles is extensively explored and studied in recent time due to eco-friendly, cost-effectiveness and minimal use of toxic chemicals for synthesis. In this study, the synthesis of Ag-TiO2 nanocomposites (NCs) was carried out using Origanum majorana leaf extract under ultrasound irradiation. Origanum majorana leaf extract plays an important role as reducing and capping agent in synthesis of Ag-TiO2 nanocomposites (NCs). The antimicrobial activities of synthesised Ag-TiO2 NCs have been studied against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. In addition to this, the antioxidant activity of green Ag-TiO2 NCs was also evaluated on the basis of free radical scavenging activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), and hydrogen peroxide free radicals.

RESULTS

Green-synthesised Ag-TiO2 NCs were successfully characterised on the basis of UV-Vis spectrophotometer, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscopy energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results revealed the spherical shape of nanocomposite with an average size 25-50 nm. The synthesised Ag-TiO2 NCs have showed significant antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Aspergillus niger in comparison to TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs). The antioxidant evaluation of biomimetic synthesised Ag-TiO2 NCs also exhibited strong activity than TiO2 NPs and comparable to standard.

CONCLUSION

Green-synthesized Ag-TiO2 NCs provide a promising approach that can satisfy the requirement of large-scale industrial production bearing the advantage of low cost, eco-friendly and reproducible.

Environmentally sustainable route to SiO2@Au-Ag nanocomposites for biomedical and catalytic applications

A facile, sustainable, operationally simple and mild method for the synthesis of SiO2@Au-Ag nanocomposites (NCs) using Nephrolepis cordifolia tuber extract is described and its catalytic, antibacterial and cytotoxic properties were investigated. The fabricated SiO2@Au-Ag NCs were well characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to determine the optical activity, size and morphology, elemental composition, functional groups present, crystallinity, thermal stability and chemical state respectively. The obtained SiO2@Au-Ag NCs exhibited spherical shape SiO2 decorated with Au and Ag nanoparticles. The diameter of the SiO2 nanoparticles ranges from 200-246 with average 3 nm diameter of Au and Ag NPs. Synthetic utility of this protocol has been demonstrated by exploring its effective catalytic activities for the solvent-free amidation of carboxylic acid with a primary amine with excellent yields. Moreover, the synthesized nanocomposite exhibited as noticeable antibacterial effect against Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria and better bio-compatibility against human keratinocytes. Thus, additive free SiO2@Au-Ag NCs display the potential for catalysis and biomedical applications.

Application of ferrocene-resorcinarene in silver nanoparticle synthesis

An amphiphilic resorcinarene with ferrocene groups at the lower rim has been applied as both reductant and stabilizer in the synthesis of colloidal silver nanoparticles.

Nanosilver as a new generation of silver catalysts in organic transformations for efficient synthesis of fine chemicals

Silver nanoparticles catalysis has been of great interest in organic synthesis and has expanded rapidly in the past ten years because of nanosilver catalysts' unique reactivity and selectivity, stability, as well as recyclability in catalytic reactions.

Co-intercalation of Acid Red 337 and a UV absorbent into layered double hydroxides: enhancement of photostability

Organic-inorganic hybrid pigments with enhanced thermo- and photostability have been prepared by co-intercalating C.I. Acid Red 337 (AR337) and a UV absorbent (BP-4) into the interlayer of ZnAl layered double hydroxides through a coprecipitation method. The obtained compounds were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric-differential thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis, UV-visible spectroscopy, and the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) 1976 L*a*b* color scales. The results show the successful co-intercalation of AR337 and BP-4 into the interlayer region of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) and reveal the presence of host-guest interactions between LDH host layers and guest anions of AR337 and BP-4 and guest-guest interactions between AR337 and BP-4. The intercalation can improve the thermostability of AR337 due to the protection of LDH layers. Moreover, the co-intercalation of AR337 and BP-4 not only markedly enhances the photostability of AR337 but also significantly influences the color of the hybrid pigment.