Heterogenized Catalysis on Metals Impregnated Mesoporous Silica

This chapter presents a succinct overview of the recent research progress on the mesoporous silica-bound homogeneous catalysts. The key to understanding the versatility of mesoporous materials lies in the flexibility of their syntheses. Their syntheses have been the subject of several reviews. The chapter focuses on silica-based materials where tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) is the commonly chosen precursor. It also describes through a few examples how the silica-based materials can be exploited in heterogenized catalysis. Then, the chapter introduces the recent advances in SBA-15 catalysis chemistry. It is noteworthy to emphasize that in situ synthesis is the only approach that enables modifying the inorganic framework (SiO2 matrix) whether by using bis-silylated precursors or synthetic adjuncts to yield periodic mesoporous organosilicates (PMO). A current trend in catalytic oxidation reactions cultivates the advantages of polyoxometalates (POMs) immobilized on SBA-15.