Acid-base bifunctional amphiphilic organic nanotubes as a catalyst for one-pot cascade reactions in water

A novel acid-base bifunctional amphiphilic organic nanotube (acid-base-nanotube) containing 1-(2-(prop-2-yn-1-yloxy)ethyl)-1H-imidazole (PEI) groups as basic sites on the wall and benzenesulfonic acid (BSA) groups as acidic sites on the corona of nanotubes was successfully synthesized by a combination of molecular-template core-shell bottlebrush copolymers and click reaction. Owing to the hydrophobic cavity microenvironments, a hydrophilic corona, and site-isolation features of organic tubular structures, the resultant acid-base-nanotube showed high catalytic performance for one-pot deacetalization-Knoevenagel cascade reactions in water.