Automated immobilization of amino acids on mesoporous silica support

Amino acids were immobilized oil the surface or amine functionalized mesoporous silica supports. The use of all automated peptide synthesizer allowed the fast and reliable preparation of series of immobilized amino acids. Histidine and glutamic acid as well as combinations there of were immobilized on mesoporous silica supports with variable amine density and surface hydrophobicity. In order to obtain a very simple biomimetic catalyst the surface bound amino acids were used to complex Fe(II) cations. Very specific metal complexation was observed. Catalytic cyclohexane oxidation showed that all materials were active under very mild reaction conditions.