Sulfonic Acid-Grafted Hybrid Porous Polymer Based on Double-Decker Silsesquioxane as Highly Efficient Acidic Heterogeneous Catalysts for the Alcoholysis of Styrene Oxide.

Abstract

β-Alkoxyalcohols generated from epoxide ring-opening reactions are significant due to their enormous value as pharmaceutical intermediates and fine chemicals. Using a phenyl-substituted double-decker-type silsesquioxane as the precursor, a hybrid porous material (PCS-DDSQ) was synthesized through a Scholl coupling reaction with an AlCl3 catalyst. Then, novel excellent Brønsted acid-derived silsesquioxane solid catalysts (PCS-DDSQ-SO3H-x) were successfully obtained through an electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction of chlorosulfonic acid on phenyl rings of PCS-DDSQ, fully characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, temperature-programmed desorption, water contact angle, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller model, thermogravimetric analysis, and solid-state 13C and 29Si nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. The catalytic behavior of the PCS-DDSQ-SO3H-x with different SO3H loadings for the methanolysis of styrene oxide was compared and evaluated. The presence of SO3H groups endows them with excellent catalytic abilities, achieving the highest values from PCS-DDSQ-SO3H-1 (the acid site of its catalyst is 1.84 mmol/g) as 99% conversion and 100% selectivity for the methanolysis of styrene oxide in 30 min, which shows superior catalytic properties of low dosage and high efficiency. Furthermore, the PCS-DDSQ-SO3H-1 catalyst can maintain high activity and selectivity after three cycles. This study provides a feasible method for the preparation of Brønsted solid acid catalysts with different acid loadings by introducing the sulfonic group into PCS-DDSQ.