Synthesis and bifunctional catalysis of metal nanoparticle-loaded periodic mesoporous organosilicas modified with amino groups

The present article describes the development of a periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO)-based bifunctional catalyst that includes both oxidative and base catalytic activities. Periodic mesoporous ethylenesilica (PME) was selected as a catalyst support and modified with ethylenediamine through epoxidation of bridging ethylene moieties and the following nucleophilic addition in order to construct base sites. FT-IR measurements for the resulting material, PME-ED, reveal the successful introduction of amino groups into the bridging ethylene moieties. PME-ED can promote Knoevenagel condensation between benzaldehyde and various active methylene compounds as a solid base catalyst. The scope of applicable active methylene compounds in this catalytic system shows the base strength of PME-ED, in which a proton can be abstracted from diethyl malonate (pK(a): 16.4) but not from benzyl cyanide (pK(a): 21.9). Moreover, the generation of bifunctional catalytic properties to promote a one-pot tandem reaction consisting of alcohol oxidation and Knoevenagel condensation is realised by loading of Au nanoparticles within PME-ED. This catalyst design methodology can be also extended to developing another bifunctional catalyst that is composed of Pd nanoparticles and PME modified with N,N-dimethylethylenediamine in order to promote a Tsuji-Trost reaction.