Asymmetric epoxidation of unfunctionalized olefins catalyzed by Mn(III) salen complex immobilized on MCM-48

Chiral Mn(III) salen complexes were supported on mesoporous molecular sieve MCM-48 and employed as catalyst in the asymmetric epoxidation of some unfunctionalized olefins. The as-synthesized catalysts showed excellent enantioselectivity than homogeneous catalysts for α-methylstyrene and the highest ee value (up to >99%) was obtained. Furthermore, these catalysts were also effective for bulkier olefins such as indene and 1-phenylcyclohexene. Compared to homogeneous counterparts, the heterogeneous catalysts are more stable and can be recycled three times without loss of enantioselectivity.     

Silica Gel Anchored Chiral Mn(III)Salen Complexes for Enantioselective Epoxidation of Unfunctionalised Olefins

Heterogeneous Mn(III) chiral salen complexes are prepared through covalent attachment of salen ligand on silica gel via chloropropyl spacer and subsequent complexation with manganese. The complexes are well characterized by IR, UV/VIS, TGA and elemental analysis. Epoxidation of unfunctionalised prochiral olefins by Mn(III) chiral salen complexes using iodosobenzene and m-CPBA as the terminal oxidants and NMO as a co-oxidant was achieved with good yields albeit low enantiomeric excess.     

Immobilization of new Mn(salen) complex over MCM-41 and its activity in asymmetric epoxidation of styrene

New tetradentate chelates of bis-Schiff bases were synthesized and then these chiral salen ligands were immobilized over mesoporous MCM-41 by using the ion-exchange method. The efficiency of the chiral catalyst was examined in the asymmetric epoxidation of styrene. Chiral Mn(salen) complexes immobilized onto mesoporous MCM-41 were stable during the reaction without any leaching and exhibited relatively high enantioselectivity for epoxidation as compared with homogeneous complexes. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Salen锰催化不对称环氧化烯烃及固载的研究现状

Salen-Mn(Ⅲ)配合物与卟啉铁的结构和性质相似,其在不对称催化反应中具有高对映异构选择性。重点介绍了Salen-Mn(Ⅲ)的配体合成方法、其催化环氧化反应的机理,并对影响催化不对称环氧化反应因素进行了详细阐述。将Salen-Mn(Ⅲ)固载到固体载体上,催化剂分子充分分离,避免形成片μ-oxo-Mn(Ⅵ)二聚体,从而保持催化剂的活性,并易于回收均相催化剂固载化技术的应用,有力地推动了金属Salen-Mn(Ⅲ)配合物应用研究的发展。     

Immobilized penicillin G acylase on mesoporous silica: The influence of pore size, pore volume and mesophases

Penicillin G acylase (PGA) was immobilized on KIT-6 and SBA-15 with different pore sizes to study the influence of pore size, pore volume and mesophases on the immobilized enzyme (IME) activity. The results show that the pore size, pore volume, mesophase and surface area have an obvious influence on the IME activity, of which the pore size is the most important factor. The activity of PGA immobilized on KIT-6/130 reaches to 3522 IU/g by dry support, which is higher than that ever reported for carrier-bound penicillin G acylase [A.I. Kallenberg, F. van Rantwijk, R.A. Sheldon, Adv. Synth. Catal. 347 (2005) 905–926]. Because of the covalent immobilization, the operational stability of IME increases.     

Mild and highly efficient transformation of thiols to symmetrical disulfides using urea–hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by a Mn(III)–salen complex

The oxidative coupling of aromatic thiols into the corresponding disulfides with urea–hydrogen peroxide using a Mn(III)–salen complex as catalyst under mild conditions is described. This system provides an efficient, convenient and practical method for the syntheses of symmetrical disulfides.     

Novel homogeneous Salen Mn(III) catalysts synthesized from dialdehyde or diketone with o-aminophenol for catalyzing epoxidation of alkenes

A series of novel non-salicylaldehyde based Salen ligands have been synthesized from the condensation of dialdehyde or diketone with o-aminophenol and the corresponding manganese(III) complexes prepared by further coordination of them with . FT-IR, UV–Vis spectra, chemical analysis and the structure optimized by Hartree-Fork/3-21G+ all indicated that the qualities of these novel Mn complexes were relative to their molecular structures. More specifically, glyoxal based Mn complex 2c, which was similar to the traditional Mn(III)-salicylethylenediamine, had a short carbon chain and non geometrical constraint of the aliphatic bridge in the two o-aminophenol, and its quality was the best when compared to glutaraldehyde, 2,4-pentanedione and 1,3-cyclohexanedione based Salen Mn(III) complexes (3c, 4c and 5c). And it was also the excellent catalyst for the epoxidations of several non-functionalized alkenes with molecular oxygen/sacrificial-isobutyaldehyde, PhI(OAc)₂ or H₂O₂ as oxidant.     

Preparation of MCM-41 Supported Heterogenized Chiral Salen Mn (III) Complex and the Catalytic Activity in the Asymmetric Epoxidation

A chiral Manganese (III) salen complex was immobilized on the walls of MCM-41 (mobile crystalline material) through the multi-grafting method. The immobilized complex was characterized by XRD, FTIR, UV-Vis, ICP and Nitrogen sorption, and was applied to the asymmetric epoxidation of unfuctionalized alkenes including 1,2-dihydronaphthalene, α-methylstyrene, cis-β-methylstyrene, styrene using NaClO and m-chloroperbenzoic acid (m-CPBA) as oxidants respectively. The immobilized complex showed good activity and enantioselectivity in the epoxidation of 1,2-dihydronaphthalene by using NaClO as oxidant. It could also be run for 4 times in the epoxidation of α-methylstyrene without obvious loss of activity or enantiomeric excess.     

Iron (III) oxide nanoparticles within the pore system of mesoporous carbon CMK-1: intra-pore synthesis and characterization

Iron (III) oxide nanoparticles were synthesized inside the pore system of mesoporous carbon CMK-1. This intra-pore synthesis was carried out using several cycles of wet impregnation, drying and calcination procedures. The existence of iron (III) oxide nanoparticles within the pore system was proved by powder X-ray diffraction, nitrogen physisorption, preservation of the host structure by Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Finally, the local structure of the iron oxide was determined by X-ray absorption spectroscopy.     

Epoxidation of Olefins Catalyzed by Mn(II) Salen Complex Anchored on PAMAM–SiO2 Dendrimer

New dendritic catalysts have been prepared by the immobilization of a Mn(II) salen complex on a polyamidoamine dendrimer propagated on the surface of silica. These have been applied in the catalytic epoxidation of olefins. Although the increase of the amount of Mn loading is found to be limited on high-generation dendrimers, the Mn(II) salen complex anchored on the fourth-generation dendrimer shows much higher catalytic activity toward the epoxidation of styrene than that anchored on lower generations. These results suggest that the length of the dendritic backbone chain plays an important role in increasing the accessibility between the catalytic active sites of the immobilized Mn(II) salen complex and the reactant molecules, resulting in the enhancement of the catalytic activity of the Mn(II) salen complex anchored on the fourth-generation dendrimer.     

Investigation on the electrode process of the Mn(II)/Mn(III) couple in redox flow battery

The Mn(II)/Mn(III) couple has been recognized as a potential anode for redox flow batteries to take the place of the V(IV)/V(V) in all-vanadium redox battery (VRB) and the Br₂/Br⁻ in sodium polysulfide/bromine (PSB) because it has higher standard electrode potential. In this study, the electrochemical behavior of the Mn(II)/Mn(III) couple on carbon felt and spectral pure graphite were investigated by cyclic voltammetry, steady polarization curve, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, transient potential-step experiment, X-ray diffraction and charge-discharge experiments. Results show that the Mn(III) disproportionation reaction phenomena is obvious on the carbon felt electrode while it is weak on the graphite electrode owing to its fewer active sites. The reaction mechanism on carbon felt was discussed in detail. The reversibility of Mn(II)/Mn(III) is best when the sulfuric acid concentration is 5 M on the graphite electrode. Performance of a RFB employing Mn(II)/Mn(III) couple as anolyte active species and V(III)/V(II) as catholyte ones was evaluated with constant-current charge-discharge tests. The average columbic efficiency is 69.4% and the voltage efficiency is 90.4% at a current density of 20 mA cm⁻². The whole energy efficiency is 62.7% close to that of the all-vanadium battery and the average discharge voltage is about 14% higher than that of an all-vanadium battery. The preliminary exploration shows that the Mn(II)/Mn(III) couple is electrochemically promising for redox flow battery.     

Oxidation of alcohols with tert-butylhydroperoxide catalyzed by Mn (II) complexes immobilized in the pore channels of mesoporous hexagonal molecular sieves (HMS)

The oxidation of alcohols with tert-butylhydroperoxide (TBHP), in the presence of Mn²⁺ complexes immobilized in the pore channels of mesoporous hexagonal molecular sieves (HMS), were investigated. It was found that immobilized [Mn(bpy)₂]²⁺/HMS is an efficient catalyst for the oxidation of alcohols such as benzyl alcohol, n-hexanol and cyclohexanol. The effects of reaction time, amount of Mn²⁺ in the catalyst, type of substrates and oxidants in this catalysis system were investigated. At optimum conditions, TBHP is more efficient oxidant with respect to H₂O₂. Following order has been observed for the percentage of conversions of alcohols: benzylic >1° >2°.     

5‐Chloro‐7‐iodo‐8‐quinolinolatomanganese(III) with the Feature of pH‐Regulated Molecular Switches as a Highly Efficient Catalyst for Epoxidation of Olefins with Hydrogen Peroxide

A simple 5‐chloro‐7‐iodo‐8‐quinolinolato‐manganese(III) complex with the feature of pH‐regulated molecular switches was conveniently synthesized and found to be a novel and highly efficient catalyst for the epoxidation of olefins with aqueous hydrogen peroxide in water‐acetone media containing ammonium acetate and acetic acid as additives. This should be due to its special hexadentate binding structure that could be easily converted to the corresponding pentadentate form with a pendant hydroxy group via the opening of an axial Mn O bond in the reaction media, as supported by in situ cyclic voltammetry and UV‐vis spectra characterization.     

Effect of promotion with ruthenium on the structure and catalytic performance of mesoporous silica (smaller and larger pore) supported cobalt Fischer–Tropsch catalysts

The effects of promotion with ruthenium on the structure of cobalt catalysts and their performance in Fischer–Tropsch synthesis were studied using MCM-41 and SBA-15 as catalytic supports. The catalysts were characterized by N₂ physisorption, H₂-temperature programmed reduction, in situ magnetic measurements, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was found that monometallic cobalt catalysts supported by smaller pore mesoporous silicas (d_p = 3–4 nm) had much lower activity in Fischer–Tropsch synthesis than their larger pore counterparts (d_p = 5–6 nm). Promotion with ruthenium of smaller pore cobalt catalysts led to a considerable increase in Fischer–Tropsch reaction rate, while the effect of the promotion with ruthenium was less significant with the catalysts supported by larger pore silicas.Characterizations of smaller pore cobalt catalysts revealed strong impact of ruthenium promotion on the repartition of cobalt between reducible Co₃O₄ phase and barely reducible amorphous cobalt silicate in the calcined catalyst precursors. Smaller pore monometallic cobalt catalysts showed high fraction of barely reducible cobalt silicate. Promotion with ruthenium led to a significant increase in the fraction of reducible Co₃O₄ and in decrease in the amount of cobalt silicate. In both calcined monometallic and Ru-promoted cobalt catalysts supported by larger pore silicas, easy reducible Co₃O₄ was the dominant phase. Promotion with ruthenium of larger pore catalysts had smaller influence on cobalt dispersion, fraction of reducible cobalt phases and thus on catalytic performance.     

Effect of synthesis routes on the performance of hydrated Mn(IV) oxide-exfoliated graphite composites for electrochemical capacitors

MnO₂ · nH₂O-EG composites for electrochemical capacitors were prepared using commercially available low cost exfoliated graphite (EG) as a conductive substrate, and (a) potassium permanganate and (b) manganese(II) acetate solutions by two different routes. Method (1) was addition of EG to (a), followed by 1 h stirring and then slow addition of (b), and in Method (2) the solutions (a) and (b) were swapped. Using Method (1) submicron or smaller sized MnO₂ · nH₂O particles having mesopores were formed, whereas Method (2) produced lumps of aggregated particles of several tens microns without mesopores, though specific surface areas were not very different and both were similar by XRD. Although EG alone showed only about 2 F g⁻¹, the capacitance per net amount of MnO₂ in 1 mol L⁻¹ Na₂SO₄ solution increased proportionally with EG content and was always larger by Method (1) than Method (2), that is, the utilization ratio of MnO₂ increased with EG content and the effect was more prominent in the case of Method (1). The results indicated that EG is a good conductive material for MnO₂ · nH₂O electrochemical capacitors if appropriate synthesis processes are used. The performance of the composites strongly depends on synthesis method, even using the same raw materials. It was suggested that the morphology of the products was a primary factor leading to different performance rather than composition.     

Zeolite-encapsulated Ru(III) tetrahydro-Schiff base complex: An efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the hydrogenation of benzene under mild conditions

A series of Ru(III) tetrahydro-Schiff base complexes (denoted as Ru[H₄]-Schiff base with Schiff base = salen, salpn and salcn, see Scheme 1) were encapsulated in the supercages of zeolite Y by flexible ligand method. The prepared catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, diffuse reflectance UV–Vis spectroscopy, Infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, as well as N₂ adsorption techniques. It was shown that upon encapsulation in zeolite Y, Ru(III) tetrahydro-Schiff base complexes exhibited higher activity for the hydrogenation of benzene than the corresponding Ru(III)-Schiff base complexes. This indicates that hydrogenation of the CN bond of the Schiff base ligands led to a modification of the coordination environment of the central Ru(III) cations. The stability of the prepared catalysts has also been confirmed against leaching of the complex molecule from the zeolite cavities, as revealed by the result that no loss of catalytic activity was observed within three successive runs with regeneration.     

MoO2(acac)2 immobilized on polymers as catalysts for cyclohexene epoxidation: Effect of the degree of crosslinking

Crosslinked poly(4‐vinylpyridine‐co‐styrene) used as support for a immobilized oxomolybdenum complex was synthesized by radical polymerization. As crosslinking agent, 1,4‐divinylbenzene (DVB) was incorporated at 2, 4, and 6 mol %. Catalysts having similar MoO₂(acac)₂ loading on different resins were obtained by refluxing a solution of the complex with the polymeric supports at 70°C. FTIR, specific surface area, and XPS techniques were used for characterization. It was found that a significant increase in the surface area occurs as the degree of crosslinking increases, presumably due to the development of branched polymers having higher porosity. XPS showed that the complex is anchored to the pyridinic nitrogen on the resin and that that Mo was present essentially as Mo(VI) species. The Mo/C atomic surface ratio exhibits a maximum for the catalyst with medium crosslinking degree. The epoxidation of cyclohexene was studied in the temperature range 40–60°C by using tert‐butyl hydroperoxide as oxidant agent. The catalysts were active and selective to the corresponding epoxide and almost no leaching of the active phase was observed. The highest catalytic activity of the studied solids was displayed by the one supported on the resin with intermedium degree of crosslinking. The results are explained in terms of the access to the active sites and surface composition. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 1602–1608, 2004     

Contribution of agro‐waste material main components (hemicelluloses,cellulose, and lignin) to the removal of chromium (III) from aqueous solution

BACKGROUND: Agro‐waste materials can be used as biosorbents of heavy metals in aqueous solution. However, it is necessary to further study the contribution of agro‐waste materials components (i.e. hemicelluloses, cellulose, and lignin) to the heavy metal ions removal from aqueous solution to better understand the biosorption mechanism, and also based on the biosorbents main components, to predict their potential to remove heavy metals. RESULTS: Cellulose is contained in major proportion (greater than 46%) in the agro‐waste materials reported herein compared with hemicelluloses (from 12% to 26%), lignin (varying from 3% to 10%), and other compounds (22% to 30%) that were removed after the neutral detergent fiber procedure. The identified functional groups in agro‐waste materials and their fractions included hydroxyl, carboxyl, and nitrogen‐containing compounds. Lignin contributed in higher proportion than hemicelluloses to Cr (III) adsorption capacity in both sorghum straw and oats straw. On the other hand lignin was the main fraction responsible for Cr (III) adsorption in agave bagasse. CONCLUSION: Hemicelluloses and lignin were the main contributors to Cr (III) removal from aqueous solution, and cellulose contained in the agro‐waste adsorbents studied did not seem to participate. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of (Zn,Mn) co-doping on the structure and ferroelectric properties of BiFeO3 thin films

BiFe_1-2xZn_xMn_xO₃ (BFZMO, with x = 0–0.05) thin films were synthesized via sol–gel method. Effects of (Zn, Mn) co-doping on the structure, ferroelectric, dielectric, and optical properties of BiFeO₃ (BFO) films were investigated. BFZMO thin films exhibit rhombohedral structure. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images indicate that co-doping leads to a decrease in grain size and number of defects. Leakage current density (4.60 × 10^?6 A/cm²) of BFZMO film with x = 0.02 was found to be two orders of magnitude lower than that of pristine BFO film. Owing to decreased leakage current density, saturated P–E curves were obtained. Maximum double remnant polarization of 413.2 μC/cm² was observed for BFZMO thin film with x = 0.02, while that for the BFO film was found to be 199.68 μC/cm². The reason for improved ferroelectric properties is partial substitution of Fe ions with Zn and Mn ions, which resulted in a reduction in the effect of oxygen vacancy defects. In addition, co-doping was found to decrease optical bandgap of BFO film, opening several possible routes for novel applications of these (Zn, Mn) co-doped BFO thin films.     

Li3PO4掺杂的Li(Ni0.5Co0.2Mn0.3)O2锂离子电池正极材料的流变相法合成及电化学性能表征

采用氢氧化物共沉淀法制备了锂离子电池正极材料前驱体(Ni_0.5Co_0.2Mn_0.3)(OH)₂,并用流变相反应法合成了Li₃PO₄掺杂的Li(Ni_0.5Co_0.2Mn_0.3)O₂锂离子电池正极材料。运用X射线粉末衍射和恒电流充放电对产物进行了结构和电化学性能的表征,结果表明Li₃PO₄掺杂的Li(Ni_0.5Co_0.2Mn_0.3)O₂具有标准的层状α-NaFeO₂结构,样品为1 μm左右的片状一次颗粒聚集而成的类球形二次颗粒。掺杂1%(质量分数)Li₃PO₄的Li(Ni_0.5Co_0.2Mn_0.3)O₂锂离子电池在0.1C的倍率下首次放电比容量达到188.6 mA·h·g^-1(2.2～4.6 V vs Li⁺/Li),30次循环后容量保持率为 92.9%。循环伏安、交流阻抗测试表明Li₃PO₄的掺杂可减少充放电过程中电解液和电极之间的电荷传递电阻和锂离子扩散电阻,减小极化作用,从而提升了Li(Ni_0.5Co_0.2Mn_0.3)O₂材料的电化学性能。