Immobilized complexes of metals with amino acid ligands -: A first step toward the development of new biomimetic catalysts

The natural amino acids histidine and glutamic acid were immobilized on the surface of functionalized mesoporous silica supports. Histidine and glutamic acid alone and combinations of both were covalently bound to the amino groups on the surface of the support by the formation of amide bonds. The immobilized amino acids were used as ligands for Fe(II). The obtained biomimetic iron complexes were tested as catalysts for cyclohexane oxidation at mild reaction conditions with hydrogenperoxide as oxidant. This stepwise preparation method allowed the synthesis of materials with varying nature and loading of immobilized amino acids. The observed trends in catalytic activity show that both the type and the surface density of immobilized amino acid have an influence on the catalytic performance during cyclohexane oxidation and also on the structure of the immobilized Fe complex.