Amino-grafted basic mesoporous silicas: a type of highly performant catalysts for the green synthesis of 2-amino-4H-chromenes

Abstract

Novel series of amino-grafted mesoporous silica materials applied to the green and efficient synthesis of 2-amino-4H-chromenes, from salicylaldehydes and ethyl cyanoacetate, under mild and free-solvent conditions, is herein reported for the first time. These catalysts are easily prepared by using the post-synthetic method, by functionalizing the SBA-15 silica with the corresponding amino silanes. The observed catalytic performance is mainly controlled by the type and concentration of basic sites. The methodology herein reported could be considered as an environmentally friendly alternative for the selective chromene synthesis, which allows to achieve high yields in short reaction times using notably small amounts of the catalysts. The experimental results are also supported with theoretical calculations, which suggest that the amine groups at the silica surface are behind the observed catalytic performance with the assistance of the silica matrix.