Magnetic Aerogels for Room-Temperature Catalytic Production of Bis(indolyl)methane Derivatives

The potential of aerogels as catalysts for the synthesis of a relevant class of bis-heterocyclic compounds such as bis(indolyl)methanes was investigated. In particular, the studied catalyst was a nanocomposite aerogel based on nanocrystalline nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4) dispersed on amorphous porous silica aerogel obtained by two-step sol-gel synthesis followed by gel drying under supercritical conditions and calcination treatments. It was found that the NiFe2O4/SiO2 aerogel is an active catalyst for the selected reaction, enabling high conversions at room temperature, and it proved to be active for three repeated runs. The catalytic activity can be ascribed to both the textural and acidic features of the silica matrix and of the nanocrystalline ferrite. In addition, ferrite nanocrystals provide functionality for magnetic recovery of the catalyst from the crude mixture, enabling time-effective separation from the reaction environment. Evidence of the retention of species involved in the reaction into the catalyst is also pointed out, likely due to the porosity of the aerogel together with the affinity of some species towards the silica matrix. Our work contributes to the study of aerogels as catalysts for organic reactions by demonstrating their potential as well as limitations for the room-temperature synthesis of bis(indolyl)methanes.

In-situ preparation of sulfonated carbonaceous copper oxide-zirconia nanocomposite as a novel and recyclable solid acid catalyst for reduction of 4-nitrophenol

The missing-linker defects of UiO-66 were exploited to covalently anchor Cu nanoclusters (Cu/UiO-66). The molecular interactions between the metals and oxides as copper-zirconia interfaces in Cu/UiO-66 are essential for heterogeneous catalysis, leading to remarkable synergistic impacts on activity and selectivity. Homogeneously distributed carbonaceous mixed metal oxides (CuO/ZrO₂@C) nanocomposite was prepared via carbonization of the Cu/UiO-66 at 600 °C for 3 h in air. To enhance the acidity properties of the CuO/ZrO₂@C nanocomposite, a small amount of sulfuric acid was added and heated at 150 °C under an N₂ atmosphere (CuO/ZrO₂-SO₃H@C). The synthesised Cu/UiO-66 and CuO/ZrO₂-SO₃H@C catalysts were used as novel catalysts in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP). The Cu/UiO-66 and CuO/ZrO₂-SO₃H@C catalysts displayed complete conversion of the 4-NP solution during (4 and 2 min) stirring at room temperature, respectively. These two catalysts exhibited a high reduction rate of 8.61 × 10^-3 s^-1, and 18.3 × 10^-3 s^-1, respectively. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) analysis showed the charge of copper atoms in the Cu/UiO-66 catalyst was Cu⁰/Cu^II and in the CuO/ZrO₂-SO₃H@C catalyst was Cu^I/Cu^II with nearly the same ratio (65/35). The particle size and the elemental composition of the CuO/ZrO₂-SO₃H@C catalyst were analysed by using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and elemental mapping, respectively. The key point beyond the high catalytic activity and selectivity of the CuO/ZrO₂-SO₃H@C catalyst is both the carbon-metal oxides heterojunction structure that leads to good dispersion of the CuO and ZrO₂ over the carbon sheets, and the high acidity properties that come from the combination between the Brønsted acid sites from sulfuric acid and Lewis acid sites from the UiO-66. The catalysts exhibited good recyclability efficiency without significant loss in activity, indicating their good potential for industrial applications.

Surface modified novel magnetically tuned halloysite functionalized sulfonic acid: synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity

The present work demonstrates the synthesis of magnetically tuned halloysite solid acid, the physiochemical properties of which are thoroughly studied using different characterization techniques and has been successfully used for the synthesis of bisamides and 4H-pyrans.

N,N,N′,N′-Tetramethylethylene-diaminium-N,N′-disulfonic acid trifluoroacetate and pyridinium-N-sulfonic acid hydrogen sulfate as highly effective dual-functional catalysts for the preparation of N,N′-alkylidene bisamides

In this research, Brønsted-acidic ionic liquids N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylene-diaminium-N,N′-disulfonic acid trifluoroacetate ([TMEDSA][TFA]2) and pyridinium-N-sulfonic acid hydrogen sulfate ([Py-SO3H][HSO4]) have been introduced as dual-functional catalysts for the green, simple and effective preparation of N,N′-alkylidene bisamides by the reaction of primary amides (2 eq.) with arylaldehydes (1 eq.) under solvent-free conditions. The reaction results and conditions of the catalysts have been compared with the previously reported ones. [TMEDSA][TFA]2 and [Py-SO3H][HSO4] were superior to the previously reported catalysts in terms of two or more of these factors: reaction times (10–45 min), yields (86–98%), temperature and the reaction conditions. Additionally, a plausible and attractive mechanism based on dual functionality of the catalysts has been proposed.

Probing the Catalytic Efficiency of Supported Heteropoly Acids for Esterification: Effect of Weak Catalyst Support Interactions

Supported heteropoly acids are an interesting class of solid acid catalysts which possess flexible structure and super acidic properties essentially required for the oil-based biodiesel production. In this study, a series of catalysts containing 25 wt.% of heteropolytungstate (HPW) supported on various clays or SiO2 were prepared, and their catalytic efficiency was evaluated for esterification of acetic acid with heptanol. The as-prepared catalysts were characterized by various techniques including FT-IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and BET. The catalytic efficiency of both bulk and supported HPW catalysts for the esterification activity strongly depends on the type of support and amount of catalyst; the bulk HPW catalyst and the catalyst supported by kaolinite with 25 wt.% of HPW exhibited highest activity. In order to study the effect of temperature on conversion, all the catalysts were subjected to different reaction temperatures. It was revealed that esterification activity of both bulk and supported HPW catalysts strongly depends upon the temperature variations of the reaction. Besides, the effect of leaching of active sites on the catalysts performance for biodiesel production was also evaluated by inductively coupled plasma studies (ICP). The kaolinite-supported catalyst (25% HPW/kaolinite) demonstrated higher amount of leaching which is also confirmed by the significant decrease in its catalytic activity when it is used for the second time. However, the higher activity demonstrated by HPW/kaolinite maybe because of some homogeneous reaction indicating a weak catalyst support interaction (WCSI) resulting in the leaching of the catalyst during the test. Furthermore, the effects of other reaction variables such as catalyst loading and reaction time on the conversion of acetic acid were also studied.

Covalently anchored sulfamic acid on cellulose as heterogeneous solid acid catalyst for the synthesis of structurally symmetrical and unsymmetrical 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives

A novel heterogeneous solid acid catalyst has been prepared by covalent grafting of chlorosulphonic acid on amino-functionalized cellulose (Cell–Pr-NHSO₃H).

A nano silver-xerogel (Ag nps@modified TEOS) as a newly developed nanocatalyst in the synthesis of benzopyranopyrimidines (with secondary and primary amines) and gem-bisamides

Silver nanoparticles have been prepared from a chemical reduction approach and supported on modified TEOS (tetraethylorthosilicate) xerogel to be studied as a nanocatalyst.

Efficient biodiesel production via solid superacid catalysis: a critical review on recent breakthrough

Biodiesel produced from triglycerides and/or free fatty acids (FFAs) by transesterification and esterification has attracted immense attention during the past decades as a biodegradable, renewable and sustainable fuel.

Ionic liquid [Dabco-H][AcO] as a highly efficient and recyclable catalyst for the synthesis of various bisenol derivatives via domino Knoevenagel–Michael reaction in aqueous media

An efficient, green and reusable catalystic system for the synthesis of various bisenol derivatives is presented.