High Surface Area MgO as a Highly Effective Heterogeneous Base Catalyst for Michael Addition and Knoevenagel Condensation Reactions

Magnesium oxide (MgO), obtained using a novel but simple procedure, was systematically investigated as a heterogeneous base catalyst for reactions taking place in the liquid phase, specifically the Michael addition and the Knoevenagel condensation. The activity of MgO was studied in detail, together with the effects of solvent and substrate on the catalytic activity for each type of reaction. A key finding is that the formation of enols affected the activity of MgO. The experimental results show that the activity of MgO did not change when it was reused and it is an excellent heterogeneous catalyst for the reactions studied.