Animated swellable glass materials have been developed as a new class of catalyst support for sub-400�K chemical transformations.  A modification to the sol-gel process allows for the creation of a nano-mechanical scaffold that has high affinity for organic compounds while excluding water. Swelling is substantial leading to absorption of up to 8 times the dry mass of the initial material with concomitant generation of mechanical forces in excess of 500 N/g.  Synthetic methods have been developed to irreversible entrap nanoscale metal particles including Pd, Ru, Ni, and bimetallic systems in animated matrixes.  In addition, the surface of the nanopores can be modified to possess organic functional groups for immobilization of selected metal ion catalysts.  Absorption and capillary condensation of chemical reagents in the expandable matrix serves to concentrate reagents leading to enhanced rates of reaction. For instance, toluene absorbed from aqueous solution is quantitatively converted to methylcyclohexane at 310�K using only dissolved hydrogen sparged into water at atmospheric pressure.  A wide variety of catalytic transformations including hydrogenations, dechlorinations, and cross-coupling reactions will be presented in addition to studies that highlight the importance of absorption and mass transport within swellable glass catalyst supports.

Versatile catalyst supports that use swellable, highly tensioned organosilica materials to pre-concentrate reagents in nanoscale pore architectures

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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