FUNCTIONALIZATION OF SILICA AND ITS USE AS A CATALYST - APPLICATION OF THE MODIFIED SILICA FOR SEVERAL NUCLEOPHILIC REACTIONS

Improvements in the hydrophobic environment of silica were attempted by introducing bifunctional compounds into the coupled silica obtained from the silane coupling reagent (SCR) containing an amino group. This modified silica was used as a catalyst in the substitution reaction of halides by cyanide ion, the alkylation of malononitrile and phenylacetonitrile (PAN) by halides, and the one-pot synthesis of alkylated PAN with benzyl chloride in the presence of sodium cyanide. The modified silica showed good catalytic activity for these reactions when dissolved in strong alkali solution. From the investigation of the catalysts and the scope of the reaction, a new concept, 'interfacial acceleration' instead of 'phase transfer', is introduced for the of PAN and the one-pot alkylation and synthesis of PAN in the presence of sodium cyanide utilizing the modified silica in the two-phase organic-aqueous system.