Hydrothermal synthesis of mesoporous zirconosilicate with enhanced textural and catalytic properties with the aid of amphiphilic organosilane

Mesoporous MFI-type zirconosilicates (Zr-MFI) with different Zr contents were hydrothermally synthesized by the aid of amphiphilic organosilane. Their physicochemical properties were characterized by various techniques, and their catalytic performance was investigated for Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley (MPV) reduction of cyclohexanone with 2-propanol. The mesoporous Zr-MFI preserved the properties of conventional Zr-MFI such as high crystallinity and incorporation of tetrahedral Zr ions in framework, and was further featured with mesoporosity of 3.5 nm diameter, enlarged external surface area, more Lewis acid sites and less defect sites. Compared with conventional Zr-MFI, the mesoporous Zr-MFI showed drastically improved activity for the MPV reduction of cyclohexanone, which was predominantly attributed to the contribution of the mesopores supplying an easier accessibility to the catalytic active sites for bulky molecules. Moreover, the mesoporous Zr-MFI was a stable and reusable catalyst.