A First Magnetic Bio-ionic Liquid for Catalytic Epoxidation of Alkenes

Abstract

In this study, a new bio-ionic liquid was synthesized by connecting berberine as a Schiff base to an amine-containing ionic liquid, while supported on Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles. Chromium metal (III) was immobilized on the desired synthesized ligand, creating a magnetic chromium-based complex (M-Bio@IL/Cr). M-Bio@IL/Cr was characterized using various techniques such as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES), and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX). Its performance as a magnetic chromium-based catalyst was examined for the first time in the epoxidation of olefins using H2O2 as an oxidant. The use of this catalyst made it easy and simple to recover and reuse due to its magnetic features. Additionally, this unique configuration provides increased dispersion due to the ionic liquid features, which enhances the overall performance of the catalytic system, particularly in polar solvents. The catalyst exhibited high conversion and selectivity, along with easy recovery and excellent reusability without a noticeable decline in its catalytic capabilities. In this study, a new bio-ionic liquid was synthesized by connecting berberine as a Schiff base to an amine-containing ionic liquid, while supported on Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles. Chromium metal (III) was immobilized on the desired synthesized ligand, creating a magnetic chromium-based complex (M-Bio@IL/Cr). M-Bio@IL/Cr was characterized using various techniques such as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES), and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX). Its performance as a magnetic chromium-based catalyst was examined for the first time in the epoxidation of olefins using H2O2 as an oxidant. The use of this catalyst made it easy and simple to recover and reuse due to its magnetic features. Additionally, this unique configuration provides increased dispersion due to the ionic liquid features, which enhances the overall performance of the catalytic system, particularly in polar solvents. The catalyst exhibited high conversion and selectivity, along with easy recovery and excellent reusability without a noticeable decline in its catalytic capabilities.