Easily separated and recyclable amino-functionalized porous SiO2 beads with 3D continuous meso/macropore channels

Abstract

Amino-functionalized porous SiO2 beads with a diameter of 200—800 μm(PSB-NH2) have been success-fully synthesized by grafting 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane onto meso/macroporous silica beads(PSB), in which the PSB was prepared by hydrothermal synthetic method with a porous hard template anion-exchange resin. The as-prepared materials were characterized by means of nitrogen sorption and transmission electron micrographs(TEM), showing the presence of 3D interconnected and continuous large mesopores and macropores inside. The beads were used to catalyze Knoevenagel condensation and proved to be highly active and selective due to the high accessibility of the reactants to the amino groups via the continuous 3D meso/macopores. Notably, such material in bead format facilitates the extremely straightforward separation from reaction solution without any centrifugation or filtration. Moreover, PSB-NH2 proved to be a stable catalyst via leaching experiment test, and can be easily recovered and reused without significant loss of activity in successive catalytic cycles.