Silica-supported molybdenum complex: A novel, selective and reusable organic-inorganic hybrid catalyst for eco-friendly oxidation of sulfides and olefins

A novel, highly efficient and reusable molybdenum based catalyst has been synthesized by covalent grafting of 2,6-diacetylpyridine-monosalicyloylhydrazone onto functionalized silica followed by complexation with MoO2(acac)(2), and the resulting organic-inorganic hybrid material was found to be highly effective catalyst for oxidation of various sulfides and olefins to their corresponding sulfoxides/sulfones and epoxides, respectively. The catalyst was characterized by elemental analysis (CHN), diffuse reflectance UV-Vis, C-13 CPMAS NMR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and BET surface area analysis, energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). Mild reaction conditions, high turnover frequency, high selectivity, easy recovery and reusability of the catalyst render the present protocol very useful to address the industrial needs and environmental concerns. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.