A porous metal-organic framework (Ni-MOF): An efficient and recyclable catalyst for cascade oxidative amidation of alcohols by amines under ultrasound-irradiations

A novel recyclable hydrolyzed nanomagnetic copolymer catalyst for green, and one-pot synthesis of tetrahydrobenzo[b]pyrans

Polymer-based catalysts have garnered significant interest for their efficiency, reusability, and compatibility with various synthesis processes. In catalytic applications, polymers offer the advantage of structural versatility, enabling functional groups to be tailored for specific catalytic activities. In this study, we developed a novel magnetic copolymer of methyl methacrylate and maleic anhydride (PMMAn), synthesized via in situ chemical polymerization of methyl methacrylate onto maleic anhydride, using benzoyl peroxide as a free-radical initiator. This polymerization process results in a robust copolymer matrix, which was subsequently hydrolyzed in an alkaline aqueous solution to introduce additional functional groups, yielding hydrolyzed PMMAn. These functional groups enhance the copolymer's ability to support the deposition of magnetic nanoparticles and participate in catalytic reactions. Following hydrolysis, we fabricated a unique magnetic composite, Fe3O4@Hydrol-PMMAn, by in situ coprecipitating Fe3O4 nanoparticles onto the hydrolyzed copolymer, creating a stable nanocatalyst. The structural and magnetic properties of Fe3O4@Hydrol-PMMAn were thoroughly analyzed using FTIR, XRD, SEM, EDX, VSM, and TGA. The Fe3O4@Hydrol-PMMAn nanocatalyst demonstrated remarkable catalytic performance in synthesizing tetrahydrobenzo[b]pyran derivatives through a three-component reaction, conducted without solvents to support green chemistry principles. A series of reaction parameters were optimized, including solvent choice, catalyst loading, and recyclability. The catalyst performed efficiently across a broad range of aldehydes, delivering high product yields (81-96%) with rapid reaction times (5-30 min) at a low catalyst loading of 0.015 g. A hot filtration test confirmed the heterogeneous nature of the nanocatalyst, which could be recycled up to four cycles with minimal loss in activity. The high yield, short reaction time, solvent-free conditions, and excellent reusability make Fe3O4@Hydrol-PMMAn a promising catalyst. These findings underscore its potential for converting waste products into valuable compounds, highlighting its utility in organic transformations and sustainable synthesis practices. Collectively, this work demonstrates that Fe3O4@Hydrol-PMMAn is highly effective for organic compound synthesis, advancing the development of versatile, sustainable nanocatalysts.

Organic and Metal-Organic Polymer-Based Catalysts-Enfant Terrible Companions or Good Assistants?

This overview provides insights into organic and metal-organic polymer (OMOP) catalysts aimed at processes carried out in the liquid phase. Various types of polymers are discussed, including vinyl (various functional poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) and perfluorinated functionalized hydrocarbons, e.g., Nafion), condensation (polyesters, -amides, -anilines, -imides), and additional (polyurethanes, and polyureas, polybenzimidazoles, polyporphyrins), prepared from organometal monomers. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and their composites represent a significant class of OMOP catalysts. Following this, the preparation, characterization, and application of dispersed metal catalysts are discussed. Key catalytic processes such as alkylation-used in large-scale applications like the production of alkyl-tert-butyl ether and bisphenol A-as well as reduction, oxidation, and other reactions, are highlighted. The versatile properties of COFs and MOFs, including well-defined nanometer-scale pores, large surface areas, and excellent chemisorption capabilities, make them highly promising for chemical, electrochemical, and photocatalytic applications. Particular emphasis is placed on their potential for CO2 treatment. However, a notable drawback of COF- and MOF-based catalysts is their relatively low stability in both alkaline and acidic environments, as well as their high cost. A special part is devoted to deactivation and the disposal of the used/deactivated catalysts, emphasizing the importance of separating heavy metals from catalysts. The conclusion provides guidance on selecting and developing OMOP-based catalysts.

Microfluidic Fabrication of Monodisperse and Recyclable TiO2-Poly(ethylene glycol) Diacrylate Hybrid Microgels for Removal of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Medium

Nearly monodisperse titanium oxide-polyethylene glycol diacrylate [TiO2-P(EGDA)] hybrid microbeads containing 0.5 wt % TiO2 nanoparticles entrapped within a P(EGDA) cross-linked polymeric network were synthesized using a modular Lego-inspired glass capillary microfluidic device. TiO2-P(EGDA) hybrid microgels were characterized by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The fabricated TiO2-P(EGDA) hybrid microgel system showed 100% removal efficiency of methylene blue (MB) from its 1-3 ppm aqueous solutions after 4 h of UV light irradiation at 0.2 mW/cm2 at the loading of 25 g/L photocatalyst beads in the reaction mixture, corresponding to the loading of naked TiO2 of just 0.025 g/L. No decrease in photocatalytic efficiency was observed in 10 repeated runs with recycled photocatalyst using a fresh 1 ppm MB solution in each cycle. The rate of photocatalytic degradation was controlled by the UV light irradiance, catalyst loading, and the initial dye concentration. Physical adsorption of MB onto the surface of composite microgel was also observed. The adsorption data was best fitted with the Langmuir adsorption isotherm and the Elovich kinetic model. TiO2-P(EGDA) microgel beads are biocompatible, can be prepared with a tunable size in the microfluidic device, and can easily be separated from the reaction mixture by gravity settling. The TiO2-P(EGDA) system can be used for the removal of other toxic dyes and micropollutants from industrial wastewater.

Comparative study of antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of berberine-derived Schiff bases, nitro-berberine and amino-berberine

In recent years, the scientific community has focused on traditional natural products and their potential therapeutic benefits. Berberine is a plant-derived isoquinoline alkaloid with a variety of biological properties and identified as a promising pharmacophore for discovering new therapeutic agents against various diseases. However, unfavorable pharmacokinetic properties of berberine have limited its clinical application so much that researchers pursue its structure modification to overcome this problem. This study focuses on the synthesis of new berberine derivatives to improve its antioxidant and antimicrobial potentials, which were characterized using CHNO and NMR instruments. Berberine extracted from barberry root was nitrated, reduced to amine and condensed with benzaldehyde derivatives to produce berberine-based Schiff bases. The H atom donating ability of all compounds was measured against DPPH free radicals, with IC50 values ranging from 18.28 to 108.20 μg ml-1. All berberine-based Schiff bases exhibited stronger antioxidant activity than nitro-berberine and amino-berberine. Only Schiff base derived from 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde showed slightly better antioxidant effects than original berberine. The inhibitory effects of the synthesized compounds were evaluated against important pathogenic fungal and bacterial strains using disk diffusion assays, with inhibition zone diameters ranging from 8.36 to 25.48 μg ml-1. Berberine itself only affected Candida albicans fungus. Nitrated berberine was effective against all microorganisms except Gram-negative Acinetobacter baumannii. The results suggest that structural modifications and functionalization can enhance the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of berberine.

Advances in the greener synthesis of chromopyrimidine derivatives by a multicomponent tandem oxidation process

A hydrophilic cobalt/copper heterogeneous bimetallic catalyst named mTEG-CS-Co/Cu-Schiff-base/IL was successfully synthesized from chitosan polysaccharide. The new catalyst was investigated and confirmed using various techniques including FT-IR, FE-SEM, EDX-EDS, XRD, TEM, TGA, AFM, NMR and ICP. The catalyst exhibited powerful catalyst activity for the tandem one pot oxidative chromopyrimidine reaction from benzyl alcohols under mild conditions, utilizing air as a clean source in a green protocol. The catalyst was compatible with a wide range of benzyl alcohols, and aldehydes formed in situ, and bis-aldehydes synthesized were condensed with urea/4‑hydroxycumarin to provide favorable products in good yields for all derivatives (14 new derivatives). The presence of tri-ethylene glycol and imidazolium moieties with hydrophilic properties on the mTEG-CS-Co/Cu-Schiff-base/IL nanohybrid provides dispersion of the nanohybrid particles in water, leading to higher catalytic performance. Furthermore, the reaction exhibited several other notable features, including low catalyst loading, the ability to be recycled for up to 6 stages, high atom economy, a simple work procedure, short reaction time, utilization of an environmentally friendly nanohybrid, and the replacement of volatile and organic solvents with water solvent.

Amino-induced cadmium metal-organic framework based on thiazole ligand as a heterogeneous catalyst for the epoxidation of alkenes

Selective epoxidation of olefins is of high interest in the chemical industry due to the many applications of epoxides. This study reports on the synthesis of Cd-MOF, [Cd(DPTTZ)(5-AIP)] (IUST-1) (where DPTTZ = 2, 5-di (pyridine-4-yl) thiazolo [5, 4-d] thiazole, 5-AIP = 5-Aminoisophthalic acid), by a reflux method, which can be considered as a fast and simple process. The morphology and structure of the synthesized IUST-1 were determined by using FE-SEM (Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy), EDX (Energy Dispersive Analysis of X-ray), Mapping (Elemental Mapping), CHNS (Elemental analysis), XRD (X-Ray Diffraction), FT-IR (Fourier Transform Infrared), and TGA (Thermo Gravimetric Analysis). The epoxidation of cyclooctene was investigated using the activity of catalytic IUST-1. The results showed that in the presence of tert-butyl hydroperoxide and CCl4 in a 1:2 alkene/oxidant ratio, a high epoxide yield (99.8%) was obtained. In addition, IUST-1 can be easily separated by simple filtration and recycled five times successfully with a slight decrease in activity. This compound has some advantages such as high yield, short reaction time, and ease of reuse, which make it a suitable heterogeneous catalyst for the epoxidation of cyclooctene.

TiO2/g-C3N4/SO3H(IL): Unique Usage of Ionic Liquid-Based Sulfonic Acid as an Efficient Photocatalyst for Visible-Light-Driven Preparation of 5-HMF from Cellulose and Glucose

Upgrading of biomass wastes to value-added materials has been incessantly pursued worldwide with diverse applications, especially deploying photocatalytic composites encompassing metal oxides with acidic and carbon compounds. Herein, the fabrication of a morphologically unique acidic catalyst encompassing a two-dimensional (2D) TiO₂/g-C₃N₄ heterojunction feature is described for the generation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), which exploits the acidic/ionic liquid (IL) bifunctional photocatalysis under visible light. The structural integrity of the synthesized TiO₂/g-C₃N₄/SO₃H(IL) was corroborated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy-energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDX-EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), UV-vis, Tauc plots, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller-Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BET-BJH) analyses. Keeping environmental impact in mind, there are compelling advantages in the development of bio-derived pathways to access ILs from natural renewable resources. The outcomes of environmental assessments have revealed that the incorporation of TiO₂ in g-C₃N₄ and ClSO₃H can reduce the probability of recombination due to ionic charges present, therefore enhancing the photocatalytic activity via the transformation of cellulose and glucose to produce 5-HMF in higher yields, with the optimum conditions being reaction in water under a blue light-emitting diode (LED), at 100 °C, for 1-1.5 h. The main advantages of this production method include minimum number of synthetic steps as well as ample availability of and easy access to primary ingredients. While a significant volume of 5-HMF was produced under blue light-emitting diode (LED) radiation, the selectivity was drastically reduced in the dark. The salient attributes of the catalyst comprise stability in air, robustness, reusability, and its overall superior activity that is devoid of hazardous additives or agents. This inimitable method has uncovered a newer strategy for enhancing the photocatalytic attributes of deployed semiconducting materials for numerous photocatalytic functions while adhering to the tenets of environmental friendliness.

BioMOF-Mn: An Antimicrobial Agent and an Efficient Nanocatalyst for Domino One-Pot Preparation of Xanthene Derivatives

In this paper, a new Mn-based metal-organic framework [UoB-6] was obtained via a one-step ultrasonic irradiation method with the ligand (H₂bdda: 4,4'-(1,4-phenylenebis(azaneylylidene))bis(methaneylylidene))dibenzoic acid. The structural integrity of the synthesized BioMOF-Mn was corroborated by FT-IR, EDX, ICP, XRD, TEM, DLS, FESEM, and BET-BJH analyses. The aerobic oxidative domino reaction of benzyl alcohols or aldehydes with dimedone derivatives was performed in the presence of the UoB-6 catalyst to produce xanthene derivatives in good yields. Hot filtration and Hg poisoning tests proved the heterogeneous nature of the catalyst. Novel synthesized xanthene-based bis-aldehydes were introduced as potent HDAC1 inhibitors according to molecular docking calculations. Finally, the inhibitory activities of Mn-MOF nanoparticles were evaluated on Escherichia coli and Candida albicans. The MIC, MBC, and MFC values were determined from 2048 to 4096 μg·mL^-1 according to antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods. The inhibitory effects of antimicrobial agents can be exacerbated when loaded on BioMOFs.

Diamine-functionalized porous graphene oxide sheets decorated with palladium oxide nanoparticles for the oxidative amidation of aldehydes

C–N coupling between aldehydes and amines by ultra-small PdO NPs adorned diamine functionalized porous GO sheets as retrievable nano-catalyst.