Synthesis of Mesoporous Cerium Oxide (CeO2) Nanoparticles and Effect of Cerium Precursors on Transamidation of Acetamide with N-Octylamine Under Solvent-Free Conditions

Abstract

Mesoporous cerium oxide (CeO2) nanoparticles act as an effective heterogeneous catalyst for the transamidation reaction of amides with amines. The mesoporous CeO2 nanoparticles were prepared by hydrothermal method using different cerium precursor such as: cerium(III) chloride heptahydrate [CeCl3 · 7H2O], cerium nitrate hexahydrate [Ce(NO3)3 · 6H2O], ceric ammonium nitrate [(NH4)2Ce(NO3)6], and cerium(III) acetate [Ce(C2H3O2)3 · 1.5H2O]. It shows highest catalytic activity for transamidation of acetamide with N-octylamine under solvent free conditions. This is the first example of a heterogeneous catalyst for transamidation using aliphatic amines as substrates. The X-ray diffraction, BET surface area analysis, and FT-IR characterizations of CeO2 suggested its excellent catalytic activity for transamidation reaction.