Recent Advances on the Preparation and Catalytic Applications of Metal Complexes Supported-Mesoporous Silica MCM-41 (Review)

Abstract

Heterogeneous catalysts were used in several production processes for the synthesis of different products such as chemicals, drugs, energy resources, fuels and other specific products. In recent years, mesoporous silica, in particular MCM-41 was widely used in several fields, including catalysis and catalytic support, due to its remarkable textural properties. This material cannot be used directly in catalysis due to its inner surface containing only silanol groups. Therefore, several attempts were proposed in order to obtain an effective catalyst. The immobilization of metal complexes on the surface of mesoporous silica is one of the most popular methods. The metal complexes immobilized on the mesoporous silica MCM-41 exhibit significant catalytic activities due to the increased dispersion of the active sites and the faster diffusion of large organic molecules. The strong interactions between the metal and the ligand generate significant stability for this kind of catalyst, which allows them to be reused in several cycles without losing their efficiency. This review mainly discusses the immobilization strategies of different metal complexes supported on the mesoporous silica MCM-41. A recent study was presented and well detailed based on the different preparation methods, catalytic applications and the stability of metal complexes supported on mesoporous silica MCM-41.