H3PW12O40/MCM-41 nanoparticles as efficient and reusable solid acid catalyst for the synthesis of quinoxalines

The condensation reaction of 1,2-diketones and o-phenylenediamines was investigated in the presence of nano-sized mesoporous silica (MCM-41) supported 12-tungstophosphoric acid (TPA) as solid acid catalyst. Nano-sized MCM-41 was synthesized and the catalysts with different loading amounts of TPA (5-15 wt.%) were prepared and characterized by XRD, FT-IR and SEM techniques. The results confirm good dispersion of TPA on the solid support. The catalyst is reusable many times without loss in its activity. (C) 2012 Academie des sciences. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.