Characterization and catalytic performance of poly(4-vinylpyridine) supported on mesoporous carbon: comparison with poly(4-vinylpyridine) supported on mesoporous silica

In this study, the synthesis of poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP) supported on mesoporous carbon (CMK-3) by in situ polymerization of 4-vinylpyridine in the presence of CMK-3 has been investigated. The structural properties of the P4VP/CMK-3 were investigated by FT-IR, XRD, BET, TGA, SEM and TEM techniques. The catalytic activity of this new heterogeneous basic catalyst was tested for Knoevenagel reaction. Excellent yields at room temperature in aqueous media and solvent-free conditions were obtained. The catalytic activity of this purely organic hybrid catalyst was compared with P4VP/SBA-15 to clarify the advantages of mesoporous carbon on mesoporous silica as support. The results showed that the stability of P4VP/CMK-3 was excellent and could be reused 10 times without much loss of activity in Knoevenagel reaction. Surprisingly, the composite prepared by mesoporous carbon showed much higher activity than that of P4VP/SBA-15. This unique result opens new perspectives for application of mesoporous carbons as structurally defined hydrophobic catalyst support in catalytic reactions.