base ligands are well known to mimic the catalytic cycle of cytochrome P-450 and have attracted research interest in recent years [3,4]. Encapsulated metallomacrocycles in the nanopores of zeolite-Y combine the advantages of homo-and heterocatalytic systems. These nanocomposite materials have been extensively used as biomimetic heterogeneous catalysts for oxidation reactions with a variety of oxidants [5][6][7][8] and reduction reactions with sodium borohydride [9][10][11][12][13].We have developed many catalytic systems using transition metal complexes of Schiff base ligands for various oxidative chemical transformations [5,[14][15][16]. In comparison with the application of transition metal Schiff base complexes as oxidative catalysts, their ability to reduction reactions has received considerably less attention in organic synthesis [12,13]. As an ongoing effort to emphasize the role of transition metal complexes of Schiff base ligands as reduction-promoting catalysts, herein, we report an efficient reduction of different aldehydes using NaBH 4 and also heterogeneous oxidation of different alkenes with H 2 O 2 in the presence of a oxovanadium(IV) and manganese(II) Schiff base complexes encapsulated in the nanocavities of zeolite-Y.
Experimental
Materials(2,4-Dihydroxyacetophenone),1,2-diaminopropane, ethylenediamine, zeolite-Y (Na 52 [(AlO 2 ) 52 (SiO 2 ) 140 ]), hydrogen peroxide (30 %) and sodium borohydride were obtained from Merck. Other materials were of commercial reagent grade and were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich or FLUKA companies and treated when necessary.Abstract Oxovanadium(IV) and manganese(II) complexes of two Schiff base ligands, bis(2,4-dihydroxyacetophenone)-1,2-propandiimine (H 2 L 1 ) and bis(2,4-dihydroxyacetophenone)-ethylenediimine (H 2 L 2 ) were synthesized and characterized. The encapsulation of these complexes in the nanocavities of zeolite-Y was achieved by a flexible ligand method. The prepared heterogeneous catalysts have been characterized by FTIR, NMR and atomic absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction patterns, scanning electron microscopy and BET. The catalytic activities of the encapsulated complexes were studied in the oxidation of alkenes with H 2 O 2 and the reduction of aldehydes with NaBH 4 . In most cases, the manganese (II) complexes (MnL 1 -Y, MnL 2 -Y) showed better activity than the oxovanadium (IV) complexes (VOL 1 -Y, VOL 2 -Y) in both oxidation of alkenes and reduction of aldehydes. The catalytic activity of the recovered catalysts was compared with the fresh ones.