Surface-decorated magnetite nanoparticles with dioxidomolybdenum(VI) complexes as a catalyst for alkene epoxidation

Abstract

Two dioxidomolybdenum(VI) complexes, denoted as [(MoO2)2(L1)] 1 and [(MoO2)2(L2)] 2, were successfully synthesized and characterized. Subsequently, these complexes were immobilized onto the surface of Fe3O4@SiO2-NH2, yielding supported compounds [(MoO2)2(L1)]@Fe3O4@SiO2-NH23 and [(MoO2)2(L2)]@Fe3O4@SiO2-NH24. A range of analytical techniques was employed to thoroughly characterize all synthesized compounds. The effectiveness of the developed supported catalysts in catalyzing the epoxidation of alkenes with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as the oxidant was assessed. Moreover, the magnetic properties of the supported compounds were assessed before and after catalytic reactions. It was observed that the magnetic properties exhibited slight alteration following the catalytic cycles. Remarkably, the supported catalysts demonstrated remarkable performance, affording excellent conversion rates along with favorable selectivity towards epoxide products. In addition, the catalysts were found to be reusable for up to seven successive cycles in the transformation of olefins and could be effectively recovered from the reaction mixture using an external magnet.