Heterogeneous catalysts obtained by grafting metallocene complexes onto mesoporous silica

THE synthesis of mesoporous siliceous solids with large-diameter channel apertures (25–100 Å) has greatly expanded the capabilities of heterogeneous catalysis1–7. The large apertures in such mesoporous silicas can, for example, be modified by framework substitution to create highly selective catalysts4,5. Here we show that direct grafting of an organometallic complex onto the inner walls of mesoporous silica MCM-41 (ref. 1) generates a shape-selective catalyst with a large concentration of accessible, well spaced and structurally well defined active sites. Specifically, attachment of a titanocene-derived catalyst precursor to the pore walls of MCM-41 produces a catalyst for the epoxidation of cyclohexene and more bulky cyclic alkenes.