Nickel porphyrin hybrid material based on functionalised silica for the selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol

Metalloporhyrin ligand,[tetrakis(o-chlorophenyl)porphyrinato]ni(ii) was successfully immobilised onto inorganic silica support from rice husk ash via 3-aminoprorplytriethoxysilane (aptes) and the resulting catalyst was labeled rhac-nipor. this mesoporous organic-inorganic hybrid catalyst showed a high specific surface area of 190.0 m2 g-1. the 29si mas nmr solid-state spectrum showed the presence of q4,q3,t3 and t2 silicon centres in rhac-nipor. the catalyst exhibited a good catalytic activity when used as a catalyst for the oxidation of benzyl alcohol with h2o2. a high selectivity to the desired product (benzaldehyde) of 100% and a maximum benzyl alcohol conversion of 54.9% was achieved. rhac-nipor could be reused several times without losing its catalytic activity. © penerbit universiti sains malaysia,2013.