Functionalized mesoporous dendritic silica hybrids as base catalysts with volatile organic compound elimination ability

Abstract

A post-synthetic process to create functionalized mesoporous dendritic silicas with a high density of tertiary amino groups is presented. Polyamidoamine periodic dendrimers up to the second generation were grown inside the channels of mesoporous hybrids. The results demonstrate that the novel polyamidoamine dendritic mesoporous benzene-silicas with highly hydrophobic crystal-like pore wall structures and the polyamidoamine dendritic mesoporous silicas with amorphous pore wall structures are very effective catalysts in Knoevenagel condensation due to enhanced hydrophobic interactions in the pore framework system, and also are effective adsorbents for volatile organic compound (VOC) removal.