Mild synthesis of mesoporous silica supported ruthenium nanoparticles as heterogeneous catalysts in oxidative Wittig coupling reactions

A new efficient approach for the in situ synthesis of anchored ruthenium nanoparticles (RuNP) in three different kinds of mesoporous silica materials, MCM-41, SBA-15 and HMS, has been developed. Solids have been synthesized under very mild conditions from RuCl3 center dot H2O salt reduced in one hour at room temperature in the mesoporous silicas previously grafted with aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES). Well-dispersed ruthenium nanoparticles, with an average size of 3 nm, anchored into the silica network by the APTES were obtained. These materials, with a molar ratio of Si/Ru = 40, were found to be catalytically active and selective in the alcohol oxidation-Wittig olefination. Interestingly, while the reaction occurs from the alcohol, control experiments suggest that the aldehyde (the common Wittig substrate) is not involved.