Mesoporous solid strong bases are highly expected in green catalytic processes, while the development of a facile method for their preparation remains a great challenge due to the inherent difficulties. Recently, a redox strategy was designed to generate strong basicity on mesoporous silica by using the oxidizability of nitrate precursors. The reducing agent, methanol vapor, diffuses into the pores of SBA-15 silica and interacts with predispersed KNO3. Through the redox strategy, the conversion of KNO3 to basic sites proceeds at the temperature as low as 400 oC, which breaks the tradition of thermally induced decomposition that usually requires much high temperatures (&gt; 600 oC). The reactions of strong bases with siliceous supports that occur at elevated temperatures can thus be avoided. Materials possessing ordered mesostructure, strong basicity, and excellent catalytic activity are thus successfully fabricated, which is impossible to realize using traditional methods.

Low-temperature fabrication of strong basicity on mesoporous silica through a redox strategy

251st National Meeting (2016)

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