Amphiphilic porous polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) incorporated polyoxometalate-paired polymeric hybrids: interfacial catalysts for epoxidation reactions†
Abstract
A new strategy to fabricate amphiphilic polyoxometalate (POM)-paired polymeric hybrids via a free radical polymerization process using polyhedral oligomeric vinylsilsesquioxanes (POSS) and ionic liquids as the building block, followed by ion exchange was designed. The obtained hybrids were demonstrated to be porous materials with excellent amphiphilic properties, and can behave as efficient interfacial catalysts for the epoxidation of alkenes with H2O2 by stabilizing Pickering emulsions. The catalysts could be recovered by centrifugation and reused with no appreciable deactivation. The unique amphiphilic porous structure is revealed to be responsible for the catalysts' excellent performances in the epoxidation reaction by accelerating the mass transfer.