Modification of faujasites to generate novel hosts for "ship-in-a-bottle" complexes

Zeolites X, Y, and DAY have been modified by a post-synthetical dealuminati on procedure to generate mesopores that are completely surrounded by microp ores. In these novel host materials several bulky transition metal salen co mplexes have been occluded via the "ship-in-a-bottle" synthesis approach. B oth the host materials and the "ship-in-a-bottle" catalysts have been chara cterized by FTIR spectroscopy and nitrogen adsorption. Additionally, the "s hip-in-a-bottle" catalysts have been characterized by thermogravimetric ana lysis and ICP-AES spectroscopy. The catalysts have been tested in the stere oselective epoxidation of R-(+)-limonene and (-)-alpha-pinene with molecula r oxygen as oxidant. The best results so far - 100% conversion, 96% selecti vity and 91% de - were achieved with the immobilized (R,R)-(N,N')-bis(3,5-d i-tert-butylsalicylidene)-1,2-diphenylethylene-1,2-diaminocobalt complex in the epoxidation of (-)-alpha-pinene. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All ri ghts reserved.