Synthesis and characterization of a new HPMo/SBA-15 composite

A new mesosilica HPMo/SBA-15 with molybdophosphoric acid encapsulated into its framework was synthesized by adding HPMo into a sol-gel system involving hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate under the strong acidic conditions(pH < 0). Its structure and physical-chemical properties were characterized by various methods, its catalytic activities were measured by the cracking of 1,3,5-triisopropylbenzene and oxidation reaction of 2,3,6-trimethylphenol. The results show that the mesosilica with molybdophosphoric acid encapsulated into its framework was insoluble and readily separable during the catalysis reactions, and was mesoporous materials with uniform mesopores and high specific surface areas, and also show that the HPMo is tightly encapsulated into the network of mesosilica walls and does not leach from the walls. HPMo/SBA-15 is the promising and new catalysts for acid-catalytic and redox-catalytic: reactions, and the potential replacer of catalysts in the homogenous reaction to solve the separation and recycle problems.