Mechanochemical Preparation of Novel Polysaccharide-Supported Nb2O5 Catalysts

Esther Rincon,Alina M Balu,Luis Serrano,Rafael Luque,Araceli Garcia,Antonio A Romero

doi:10.3390/catal9010038

Esther Rincon, Alina M Balu + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/catal9010038

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Abstract

Polysaccharides extracted from natural sources can be used as starting material for the preparation of nanoparticle supported composites. A novel family of bio-nanocomposites was mechanochemically synthesized by using niobium oxide and enzymatically produced polysaccharides. The structural, textural and surface properties of nanomaterials, were determined by X-Ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption-desorption (N₂ porosimetry), pulse chromatography, infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Selective oxidation of isoeugenol to vanillin was carried out to demonstrate the catalytic activity of the Nb-polysaccharides nanocomposites. Interestingly, most of our material showed high conversion of isoeugenol (60–70%) with selectivity to vanillin over 40%. The optimum conversion and selectivity were achieved with a reaction time between 8 and 24 h.

Highlights

The most important challenge currently faced by chemistry and related industries is the change towards a more environmentally friendly chemistry
The present study proposes the synthesis of Nb nanomaterials by means of mechanochemical processes using a series of biopolymers as sacrificial templating agents
A novel set of Nb-based nanocomposites were prepared by means of a simple, efficient and environmentally friendly mechanochemical dry milling protocol, using a Nb precursor and different exopolysaccharides derived from microbial fermentation

Summary

Introduction

The most important challenge currently faced by chemistry and related industries is the change towards a more environmentally friendly chemistry. It results mandatory understand the efficiency of a process in terms of the replacement of fossil resources by renewable raw materials. The most efficient strategy has been the heterogenization of highly active catalysts on different organic or inorganic supports [5]. This has achieved the development of significant progress for the effective recovery of the catalyst. With the development of new heterogeneous catalysts, more efficient processes and methodologies are sought, considering economic and environmental concerns as well as the better

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