Co-reporter:Xinchen Kang, Wenting Shang, Qinggong Zhu, Jianling Zhang, Tao Jiang, Buxing Han, Zhonghua Wu, Zhihong Li and Xueqing Xing
Chemical Science 2015 vol. 6(Issue 3) pp:1668-1675
Publication Date(Web):06 Jan 2015
DOI:10.1039/C4SC03736G
We proposed a strategy to synthesize mesoporous inorganic salt particles using the special properties of ionic liquid (IL) mixtures, and hollow mesoporous LaF3, NdF3, and YF3 particles were synthesized and characterized using different techniques. The size of the mesopores in the salt particles was about 4 nm, and the materials were full of crystal defects. The LaF3, NdF3 and YF3 particles were used as the catalysts for the cyanosilylation reaction of benzaldehyde using trimethylsilyl cyanide, and Ru/LaF3 and Ru/NdF3, in which Ru nanocatalysts were supported on the LaF3 and NdF3 particles with mesopores, were used to catalyze hydrogenations of benzene to cyclohexane and levulinic acid (LA) to γ-valerolactone (GVL). It was discovered that the activities of these catalysts were unprecedentedly high for these reactions. Detailed study showed that both the crystal defects and the mesopores in the salt particles played crucial roles for the extremely high catalytic activity.
Co-reporter:Guodong Ding, Hongling Han, Tao Jiang, Tianbin Wu and Buxing Han
Chemical Communications 2014 vol. 50(Issue 65) pp:9072-9075
Publication Date(Web):06 Jun 2014
DOI:10.1039/C4CC02267J
In this work, the ligand-free heterogeneous copper Cu-g-C3N4 was synthesized and used for the hydroxylation of aryl iodides to synthesize phenols using cheap bases. The catalyst was conveniently prepared, air-tolerant, reusable and scalable, and is very efficient for a wide range of substrates. The synthesis of substituted phenols can be carried out under air conditions and has great potential for practical applications.
Co-reporter:Weitao Wang, Guodong Ding, Tao Jiang, Peng Zhang, Tianbin Wu and Buxing Han
Green Chemistry 2013 vol. 15(Issue 5) pp:1150-1154
Publication Date(Web):13 Mar 2013
DOI:10.1039/C3GC00084B
VxOy@C catalysts were prepared from sucrose and NH4VO3 by a one-pot hydrothermal method. They showed satisfactory catalytic performance for the hydroxylation of benzene to phenol in acetonitrile using oxygen as the oxidant.
Co-reporter:Guodong Ding, Weitao Wang, Tao Jiang and Buxing Han
Green Chemistry 2013 vol. 15(Issue 12) pp:3396-3403
Publication Date(Web):10 Sep 2013
DOI:10.1039/C3GC41469H
Clays, which are nontoxic, abundant, and cheap, are very promising supports for the design and preparation of green catalysts. In this work, the Pd/bentonite catalyst was fabricated by a simple impregnation method using water as the medium. The catalyst was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron spectroscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron (XPS) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) techniques. The performance of Pd/bentonite in the Suzuki–Miyaura reaction was studied. It was found that for aryl bromides and iodides with various electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups such as –CH3, –OCH3, –Cl, –CN, –F, –COCH3 and –NO2, the coupling reaction of substrates with arylboronic acid proceeded smoothly at low catalyst loading (Pd 0.06 mol%) under ambient temperature. The catalyst could be reused at least 7 times without any decrease in activity.
Co-reporter:Tao Jiang, Weitao Wang and Buxing Han
New Journal of Chemistry 2013 vol. 37(Issue 6) pp:1654-1664
Publication Date(Web):13 Mar 2013
DOI:10.1039/C3NJ41163J
Phenol is an important intermediate for the production of petrochemicals, agrochemicals and plastics. Most phenol worldwide is produced via the three-step cumene process from benzene. The disadvantages of the cumene process have stimulated the development of alternative routes to decrease energy consumption, increase the yields and avoid the explosive intermediate (cumene hydroperoxide) and the byproduct acetone. The one-step direct hydroxylation of benzene toward phenol has been extensively investigated using various oxidants such as molecular oxygen, nitrous oxide and hydrogen peroxide. But the selective production of phenol with high yields remains a challenge because phenol is more reactive toward oxidation than benzene. It is difficult to achieve high selectivity using molecular oxygen because of the high reaction temperatures and overoxidation which arise from the more active catalysts used for activating oxygen. The application of nitrous oxide is limited by the source, although the phenol selectivity and conversion can be high. Amongst the oxidants, hydrogen peroxide has obvious advantages as water is the only byproduct. In the past several decades, a variety of catalysts have been developed for the direct hydroxylation of benzene with hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant. Catalysts based on molecular sieves show outstanding catalytic performances for the reaction. This perspective article discusses the direct hydroxylation of benzene to phenol using hydrogen peroxide with catalysts based on molecular sieves, including pristine molecular sieve catalysts, transition metals incorporated molecular sieves, transition metal oxides supported on molecular sieves, complexes grafted on molecular sieves, and heteropoly acids supported on molecular sieves.
Co-reporter:Guodong Ding;Weitao Wang;Dr. Tao Jiang;Dr. Buxing Han;Dr. Honglei Fan ;Guanying Yang
ChemCatChem 2013 Volume 5( Issue 1) pp:192-200
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/cctc.201200502
Abstract
Design and preparation of efficient and economical catalysts for direct hydroxylation of benzene to phenol is an important topic. In this work, a series of metal-doped graphitic carbon nitride catalyst (Cu-, Fe-, V-, Co-, and Ni-g-C3N4) were successfully synthesized by using urea as the precursor through a facile and efficient method. The catalysts were characterized systematically using N2 adsorption–desorption, FTIR, thermogravimetric analysis, powder X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. It was found that the vanadium-doped graphitic carbon nitride catalyst V-g-C3N4 was the most efficient catalyst for the direct synthesis of phenol from benzene with hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant and it could be recycled at least 4 times. The influence of reaction conditions such as the solvent, reaction temperature, reaction time, and the amounts of catalyst and hydrogen peroxide were investigated. Under optimized conditions, 18.2 % yield of phenol was obtained with the selectivity to phenol as high as 100 %.
Co-reporter:Weitao Wang;Dr. Huizhen Liu;Guodong Ding;Peng Zhang;Dr. Tianbin Wu;Dr. Tao Jiang;Dr. Buxing Han
ChemCatChem 2012 Volume 4( Issue 11) pp:1836-1843
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/cctc.201200272
Abstract
Clays are very promising, environmentally benign catalyst supports. Herein, Ru–Cd/bentonite (BEN) catalysts were prepared and characterized by TEM, SEM, XPS, and XRD. The as-prepared catalysts were used to catalyze the selective hydrogenation of benzene into cyclohexene with different Ru/Cd molar ratios, hydrogen pressures, and reaction temperatures. We found that the catalytic activity decreased with decreasing Ru/Cd molar ratio, whereas the selectivity was enhanced. The most-favorable Ru/Cd molar ratio was 1 and the optimal hydrogen pressure and temperature were 5 MPa and 150 °C, respectively. The yield of cyclohexene reached 24.8 % over Ru–Cd/BEN under the optimal reaction conditions without the need for any additives in the reaction system and this catalyst could be reused several times in the reaction without a drop in the yield of cyclohexene. The Cd in the catalyst enhanced the selectivity for cyclohexene. Furthermore, Cd/BEN could be used an as effective supported additive to promote the hydrogenation of benzene into cyclohexene catalyzed by Ru/BEN or Ru/SBA-15.
Co-reporter:Weitao Wang, Huizhen Liu, Tianbin Wu, Peng Zhang, Guodong Ding, Shuguang Liang, Tao Jiang, Buxing Han
Journal of Molecular Catalysis A: Chemical 2012 Volume 355() pp:174-179
Publication Date(Web):March 2012
DOI:10.1016/j.molcata.2011.12.013
A ruthenium catalyst supported on the cheap bentonite with high activity has been prepared by impregnation-hydrothermal method and characterized by TEM, XRD, and XPS. The catalytic performance for selective hydrogenation of benzene to cyclohexene was investigated. The effect of additives NaOH and ZnSO4 on the catalytic performances was studied. It was demonstrated that both NaOH and ZnSO4 could significantly enhance the selectivity to cyclohexene over Ru/bentonite catalyst. The influences of reaction temperature, pressure, amounts of catalyst and additives, and reaction time on the selective hydrogenation of benzene were studied in detail.Graphical abstractA ruthenium catalyst supported on the bentonite for selective hydrogenation of benzene to cyclohexene was prepared by impregnation-hydrothermal method and characterized. NaOH and ZnSO4 significantly enhanced the selectivity to cyclohexene. The influences of reaction conditions were studied in detail.Highlights► Catalysts for selective hydrogenation of benzene to cyclohexene. ► Bentonite, as the low-cost and environmentally friendly support, was employed. ► Ru/bentonite prepared by impregnation-hydrothermal method showed high active. ► Both ZnSO4 and NaOH significantly improved selectivity. ► Water played an important role in enhancing the selectivity.
Co-reporter:Huizhen Liu, Tao Jiang, Buxing Han, Shuguang Liang, Weitao Wang, Tianbin Wu and Guanying Yang
Green Chemistry 2011 vol. 13(Issue 5) pp:1106-1109
Publication Date(Web):22 Mar 2011
DOI:10.1039/C0GC00959H
The Ru/ZnO–ZrOx(OH)y catalyst is very efficient for the selective hydrogenation of benzene to cyclohexene, and the yield of cyclohexene can reach 56% without using any additive. This work provides a highly efficient, cheap and clean method to produce cyclohexene.
Co-reporter:Shuguang Liang, Huizhen Liu, Tao Jiang, Jinliang Song, Guanying Yang and Buxing Han
Chemical Communications 2011 vol. 47(Issue 7) pp:2131-2133
Publication Date(Web):24 Dec 2010
DOI:10.1039/C0CC04829A
Cellulose/KI is a very active, selective, stable, and recyclable catalyst for the cycloaddition reactions of CO2 and epoxides due to the excellent synergetic effect of cellulose and KI. It is found that the hydroxyl groups on the vicinal carbons of cellulose play a key role for the very high efficiency of the catalyst.
Co-reporter:Huizhen Liu, Shuguang Liang, Weitao Wang, Tao Jiang, Buxing Han
Journal of Molecular Catalysis A: Chemical 2011 Volume 341(1–2) pp:35-41
Publication Date(Web):3 May 2011
DOI:10.1016/j.molcata.2011.03.021
The selective hydrogenation of benzene to cyclohexene was studied over Ru–Cu/ZnO catalysts, which were prepared by deposition–precipitation, impregnation and co-precipitation methods. The influence of NaOH on the catalytic performance of catalysts prepared by these methods was discussed in detail. It was demonstrated that NaOH significantly enhanced the selectivity to cyclohexene over Ru–Cu/ZnO catalyst prepared by deposition–precipitation method. The properties of the catalysts were characterized by transmission electron spectroscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and nitrogen adsorption–desorption techniques. The effects of ratio of Ru to Cu, concentration of NaOH and other reaction conditions including reaction temperature, hydrogen pressure, and reaction time on the reaction were studied. Using the preferable catalyst, the yield of cyclohexene reached a maximum of 49.4% with benzene conversion of 72.3% and selectivity to cyclohexene of 68.3%.Graphical abstractThe selective hydrogenation of benzene to cyclohexene was studied over Ru–Cu/ZnO catalysts, which were prepared by deposition–precipitation, impregnation and co-precipitation methods. Addition of NaOH significantly enhanced the selectivity to cyclohexene over the catalyst prepared by deposition–precipitation method.Highlights► Catalysts for selective hydrogenation of benzene to cyclohexene. ► Ru–Cu/ZnO prepared by deposition–precipitation, impregnation and co-precipitation. ► Characterized by TEM, SEM, XRD, XPS and nitrogen adsorption–desorption. ► NaOH significantly improved selectivity when using deposition–precipitation method. ► A maximum yield of cyclohexene 49.4%.
Co-reporter:Shuguang Liang, Huizhen Liu, Yinxi Zhou, Tao Jiang and Buxing Han
New Journal of Chemistry 2010 vol. 34(Issue 11) pp:2534-2536
Publication Date(Web):20 Sep 2010
DOI:10.1039/C0NJ00502A
Tetramethylguanidine-based ionic liquids were used as effective catalysts for the synthesis of propylene glycol methyl ether from methanol and propylene oxide. 1-Methoxy-2-propanol was produced in nearly 90% yield under much milder conditions. The catalyst can be reused at least ten times without any considerable decrease in its activity and selectivity.
Co-reporter:Shuguang Liang;Yinxi Zhou;Huizhen Liu;Buxing Han
Catalysis Letters 2010 Volume 140( Issue 1-2) pp:49-54
Publication Date(Web):2010 November
DOI:10.1007/s10562-010-0426-9
In this work, we immobilized ionic liquid 1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidium lactate on two solid supports, bentonite and SBA-15, by different methods. The prepared materials were used to catalyze the reaction of propylene oxide and methanol to produce propylene glycol methyl ether. 1-Methoxy-2-propanol was the predominant product. The influence of the amount of the catalyst, molar ratio of the reactants, reaction temperature and time on the yield and selectivity was studied. The two catalysts were proved to be efficient and reusable catalysts for the reaction.
Co-reporter:Tao Jiang, Yinxi Zhou, Shuguang Liang, Huizhen Liu and Buxing Han
Green Chemistry 2009 vol. 11(Issue 7) pp:1000-1006
Publication Date(Web):09 Apr 2009
DOI:10.1039/B901425J
Glycerol is a well-known renewable chemical, and its effective transformation to valuable chemicals accords well with the principles of green chemistry. In this work, a series of Ru-Cu bimetallic catalysts were prepared using cheap and abundant clay, bentonite, as the support. Bentonite was modified with a functional ionic liquid 1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidinium lactate (TMGL) in an attempt to develop highly efficient catalysts. Hydrogenolysis of aqueous solution of glycerol was performed with the immobilized Ru-Cu catalyst under temperatures of 190–240 °C and pressures of 2.5–10 MPa. The bimetallic catalysts were very efficient for promoting the hydrogenolysis of glycerol. 100% of glycerol conversion and 85% yield of 1,2-propanediol could be achieved at 230 °C and 8 MPa. The conversion of glycerol and the selectivity to 1,2-propanediol did not decrease after the catalyst was used 5 times. TMGL played a crucial role in fabricating the new catalysts. The catalysts were characterized by FT-IR, XPS, SEM and TEM, and the reasons for the excellent performances of the catalyst were also discussed.
Co-reporter:Tao Jiang;Huizhen Liu;Shuguang Liang;Yinxi Zhou;Buxing Han
Science 2009 Volume 326(Issue 5957) pp:
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1126/science.1179713
Cooperative Reduction
Selective redox transformation remains a general challenge in chemical synthesis. All too often, the most readily available precursor to a compound must be over-reduced (or over-oxidized) and then carefully coaxed back to a desired intermediate state. Such is the case with the synthesis of cyclohexanone, which is mass-produced for use in the preparation of nylon: Access by direct reduction of phenol is plagued by the rapid addition of too many hydrogen atoms to the substrate, producing an alcohol (cyclohexanol) in place of the ketone. Liu et al. (p. 1250) have discovered that the unexpected cooperation of supported palladium and a Lewis acid such as aluminum trichloride—two catalysts widely used alone but rarely in concert—facilitates highly selective conversion of phenol to cyclohexanone near room temperature. The key appears to be inhibition of the undesired ketone-to-alcohol reduction step by the Lewis acid.
Co-reporter:Yinxi Zhou, Jinliang Song, Shuguang Liang, Suqin Hu, Huizhen Liu, Tao Jiang, Buxing Han
Journal of Molecular Catalysis A: Chemical 2009 Volume 308(1–2) pp:68-72
Publication Date(Web):4 August 2009
DOI:10.1016/j.molcata.2009.03.027
An efficient synthesis of ethyl methyl carbonate using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as Lewis acid catalyst has been realized by the transesterification of dimethyl carbonate and diethyl carbonate. The effects of reaction time, temperature, amount of catalyst and the ratios of substrates on the yield of the objective product were examined. It was demonstrated that MOFs can catalyze the reaction smoothly, and that good yield of ethyl methyl carbonate and high selectivity was achieved under optimized conditions. The catalyst leaching test has shown that the reaction takes place heterogeneously. Moreover, the catalyst can be easily recovered simply by centrifugation and reused over three times without obvious loss of its catalytic activity.An efficient synthesis of ethyl methyl carbonate using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as acid catalyst has been realized by the transesterification of dimethyl carbonate and diethyl carbonate. It was demonstrated that MOFs can catalyze the reaction smoothly, and high yield of ethyl methyl carbonate and good selectivity could be achieved under mild conditions.
Co-reporter:Xiumin Ma, Yinxi Zhou, Jicheng Zhang, Anlian Zhu, Tao Jiang and Buxing Han
Green Chemistry 2008 vol. 10(Issue 1) pp:59-66
Publication Date(Web):19 Oct 2007
DOI:10.1039/B712627A
Heck arylation of olefins with aryl halides was carried out in solvent-free conditions with a Pd catalyst supported on 1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidinium (TMG)-modified molecular sieve SBA-15 (designated as SBA-TMG-Pd). SBA-TMG-Pd was much more active and stable than a Pd catalyst supported on pristine SBA-15 (designated as SBA-Pd). The catalysts were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the reasons for the excellent performance of catalyst SBA-TMG-Pd were also discussed.
Co-reporter:Tao Jiang, Xiumin Ma, Yinxi Zhou, Shuguang Liang, Jicheng Zhang and Buxing Han
Green Chemistry 2008 vol. 10(Issue 4) pp:465-469
Publication Date(Web):29 Feb 2008
DOI:10.1039/B717868A
The synthesis of disubstituted ureas from amines and CO2 were carried out using a basic ionic liquid (IL) 1-n-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium hydroxide ([Bmim]OH) as the catalyst. The effects of reaction time, amount of [Bmim]OH, reaction temperature, pressure, and solvent on yields of the products were investigated. The results indicated that aliphatic amines, cyclohexylamine, and benzylamine could be converted to the corresponding ureas selectively in moderate yields under solvent-free conditions without using any dehydrating regent. The IL could be reused after a simple separation procedure.
Co-reporter:Yinxi Zhou, Suqin Hu, Xiumin Ma, Shuguang Liang, Tao Jiang, Buxing Han
Journal of Molecular Catalysis A: Chemical 2008 Volume 284(1–2) pp:52-57
Publication Date(Web):2 April 2008
DOI:10.1016/j.molcata.2008.01.010
A series of betaine-based salts containing quaternary ammonium ion and carboxylic acid group were synthesized by direct protonation of anhydrous betaine using different Brønsted acids. The catalytic activity of these salts for the synthesis of cyclic carbonates via cycloaddition reaction of CO2 with epoxides was studied. The effects of anions of the salts, reaction temperature, pressure, reaction time, and the amount of catalyst used on the reaction were studied. It was demonstrated that the carboxylic acid group in the catalyst had synergetic effect with halide anion, and high yield of cyclic carbonates and excellent selectivity could be achieved at optimized condition.A series of betaine-based salts were synthesized by direct protonation of anhydrous betaine. The catalytic activity of these salts for coupling of CO2 and epoxides was studied. It was demonstrated that the carboxylic acid group in the catalyst had synergetic effect with halide anion, and high yield and excellent selectivity could be achieved at optimized condition.
Co-reporter:Anlian Zhu, Tao Jiang, Buxing Han, Jicheng Zhang, Ye Xie and Xiumin Ma
Green Chemistry 2007 vol. 9(Issue 2) pp:169-172
Publication Date(Web):13 Nov 2006
DOI:10.1039/B612164K
In this work, the catalytic efficiency of ionic liquid (IL) choline chloride/urea supported on molecular sieves for the reactions of CO2 and epoxides was studied under different conditions. It was demonstrated that this biodegradable and green catalyst is very active and selective, and choline chloride and urea showed a synergetic effect in promoting these reactions. After reaction, the solid catalyst and the products could be separated easily because the IL was insoluble in the products, and the catalyst was reusable. The origin of the high catalytic efficiency and the reaction mechanism were also discussed.
Co-reporter:Anlian Zhu, Tao Jiang, Buxing Han, Jun Huang, Jicheng Zhang and Xiumin Ma
New Journal of Chemistry 2006 vol. 30(Issue 5) pp:736-740
Publication Date(Web):16 Mar 2006
DOI:10.1039/B600277C
In this work, the effect of the anions of tetramethylguanidine-based ionic liquids on the catalytic activity in direct aldol reactions was studied. In solvent-free conditions at room temperature, [TMG][Ac]
(1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidinium acetate) was found to have the highest activity among the ionic liquids including [TMG][Pr]
(1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidinium propionate), [TMG][n-Bu]
(1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidinium n-butyrate), [TMG][i-Bu]
(1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidinium isobutyrate), [TMG][Lac]
(1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidinium lactate) and [TMG][TFA]
(1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidinium trifluoroacetate). On the basis of this preliminary result, a series of direct aldol reactions was performed using [TMG][Ac] as the catalyst, and satisfactory results with high yields and good chemo- and regioselectivity were obtained. From combination of the reaction results with UV–Vis spectroscopy studies, it was deduced that the reactions proceeded through an enamine intermediate. The anion effect was believed to operate though its interaction with the cation and the special structure of the enamine based on tetramethylguanidine may be the reason for the unusual regioselectivity, which is different from that of aldol reactions catalyzed by proline and its derivatives in organic solvents.
Co-reporter:Anlian Zhu, Tao Jiang, Dong Wang, Buxing Han, Li Liu, Jun Huang, Jicheng Zhang and Donghai Sun
Green Chemistry 2005 vol. 7(Issue 7) pp:514-517
Publication Date(Web):22 Apr 2005
DOI:10.1039/B501925G
The ionic liquid, 1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidine lactate ([TMG][Lac]), was used as a recyclable catalyst for direct aldol reactions at room temperature without any solvent. The results demonstrated that good chemo- and regio-selectivity could be achieved, and the ionic liquid can be easily recovered and recycled without considerable decrease of activity. The protocol is green and effective for producing β-hydroxyl ketones.
Co-reporter:Guodong Ding, Hongling Han, Tao Jiang, Tianbin Wu and Buxing Han
Chemical Communications 2014 - vol. 50(Issue 65) pp:NaN9075-9075
Publication Date(Web):2014/06/06
DOI:10.1039/C4CC02267J
In this work, the ligand-free heterogeneous copper Cu-g-C3N4 was synthesized and used for the hydroxylation of aryl iodides to synthesize phenols using cheap bases. The catalyst was conveniently prepared, air-tolerant, reusable and scalable, and is very efficient for a wide range of substrates. The synthesis of substituted phenols can be carried out under air conditions and has great potential for practical applications.
Co-reporter:Shuguang Liang, Huizhen Liu, Tao Jiang, Jinliang Song, Guanying Yang and Buxing Han
Chemical Communications 2011 - vol. 47(Issue 7) pp:NaN2133-2133
Publication Date(Web):2010/12/24
DOI:10.1039/C0CC04829A
Cellulose/KI is a very active, selective, stable, and recyclable catalyst for the cycloaddition reactions of CO2 and epoxides due to the excellent synergetic effect of cellulose and KI. It is found that the hydroxyl groups on the vicinal carbons of cellulose play a key role for the very high efficiency of the catalyst.
Co-reporter:Xinchen Kang, Wenting Shang, Qinggong Zhu, Jianling Zhang, Tao Jiang, Buxing Han, Zhonghua Wu, Zhihong Li and Xueqing Xing
Chemical Science (2010-Present) 2015 - vol. 6(Issue 3) pp:NaN1675-1675
Publication Date(Web):2015/01/06
DOI:10.1039/C4SC03736G
We proposed a strategy to synthesize mesoporous inorganic salt particles using the special properties of ionic liquid (IL) mixtures, and hollow mesoporous LaF3, NdF3, and YF3 particles were synthesized and characterized using different techniques. The size of the mesopores in the salt particles was about 4 nm, and the materials were full of crystal defects. The LaF3, NdF3 and YF3 particles were used as the catalysts for the cyanosilylation reaction of benzaldehyde using trimethylsilyl cyanide, and Ru/LaF3 and Ru/NdF3, in which Ru nanocatalysts were supported on the LaF3 and NdF3 particles with mesopores, were used to catalyze hydrogenations of benzene to cyclohexane and levulinic acid (LA) to γ-valerolactone (GVL). It was discovered that the activities of these catalysts were unprecedentedly high for these reactions. Detailed study showed that both the crystal defects and the mesopores in the salt particles played crucial roles for the extremely high catalytic activity.
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