Mesoporous Organosilicas with Acidic Frameworks and Basic Sites in the Pores: An Approach to Cooperative Catalytic Reactions

Two in one: A periodic mesoporous phenylene silica (PMO) with acidic framework walls and basic pore channels was obtained by using protecting-group techniques. This approach allows location of the acidic groups in the hydrophobic benzene layers and of the amine groups in the hydrophilic silica layers. The bifunctional material is an efficient catalyst for the tandem conversion of benzaldehyde dimethyl acetal into 2-nitrovinylbenzene (see scheme).