Perfluorinated alkylsulfonic acid functionalized periodic mesostructured organosilica: A new acidic catalyst

Fluorinated alkylsulfonic acid functionalized periodic mesostructured organosilica was one-pot synthesized using 1,2-bis(trimethoxysilyl)ethane (BTME) and a perfluorinated alkylsulfonic acid silane (PSTE) under acidic conditions using Pluronic 123 as surfactant. Wormhole mesostructures with surface areas up to 500 m(2)/g and narrow pore size distribution (around 4.1 nm) were obtained. This work thus provides an example of one-pot synthesis for new functionalized PMO acid catalysts. The physicochemical properties were monitored by N-2 adsorption, XRD, thermogravimetric analysis, C-13, F-19 and Si-29 MAS NMR and proton conduction. Liquid phase self-condensation of heptanal was performed at 75 degrees C in the presence of these catalysts, and results were compared with those obtained with several other heterogeneous hydrophobic acid catalysts. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.