Cooperative Catalysis by General Acid and Base Bifunctionalized Mesoporous Silica Nanospheres

Abstract

A team effort: Mesoporous silica nanosphere (MSN) materials bifunctionalized with a general acid group and a base group in various relative concentrations are described and shown to function as cooperative catalytic systems. The turnover numbers observed indicate that the acid groups can activate substrates in cooperation with the base groups to catalyze reactions that involve carbonyl activation (see picture).