Sulfonated mesoporous TUD-1: An innovative environmentally friendly solid acid catalyst for various organic transformations

• Published in: Results in Chemistry 2024-06, Vol.8, p.101583, Article 101583
• Main Authors: Morad, Moataz, Khder, Abdelrahman S., Altass, Hatem M., Moussa, Ziad, Khder, Menna A., Ahmed, Awad I., Ahmed, Saleh A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biginelli reaction; Catalysis; Friedel-Crafts acylation; Pechmann reaction; Solid acid; TUD-1
• ISSN: 2211-7156; 2211-7156
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rechem.2024.101583

[Display omitted] TUD-1, a novel sponge-like three-dimensional mesoporous silica material, was synthesized in one-step using a hydrothermal technique and triethanolamine as a template. To enhance its acidic properties, the TUD-1 material underwent sulfonation with varying amounts of sulfonic groups (1 and 3 wt%). Structural characteristics were determined using XRD, FTIR, Raman, BET analysis, HRTEM, SEM, and XPS. Surface acidities of the catalysts were evaluated through non-aqueous potentiometric titration and FTIR analysis of chemisorbed pyridine. The performance of catalysts was assessed in various reactions, including the Pechmann reaction, Friedel-Crafts acylation reaction, and Biginelli reaction for synthesis of 7-hydroxy-4-methyl-2H-chromen-2-one, aromatic ketones and 3, 4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-one. The findings confirm that the TUD-1 mesoporous structure did not undergo any significant alteration post sulfonation. The sulfonated catalysts exhibited higher surface acidities than TUD-1. A correlation between surface acidity, particularly Brönsted acid sites, and catalytic efficiency in selected reactions was evident from both catalytic testing and characterization. Under moderate conditions, TUD-1-3SO3H exhibited outstanding catalytic performance and remarkable reusability across all selected reactions.