Mesoporous SBA-15 material functionalized with ferrocene group and its use as heterogeneous catalyst for benzene hydroxylation

An organic-inorganic hybrid heterogeneous catalyst system was synthesized by covalently anchoring ferrocene onto the mesoporous silica SBA-15 materials. FT-IR, TG-DSC-MS, and EDS analyses demonstrate that the ferrocene has been grafted successfully into the mesoporous SBA-15 materials. Powder X-ray diffraction, HRTEM, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption analysis proved that the textural characteristics of the support were preserved during the drafting experiments and the channels remained accessible, despite the sequential reductions in surface area, pore volume and pore size. The hybrid materials exhibit high catalytic activity for benzene oxidation, with hydrogen peroxide as the oxygen source, and are recyclable and reusable without apparently reduced activity.