Author(s)

Alaa H. Hussein^1,2,3, Hiba Nahas^1,2, Mohamad Jahjah^1,2, Mourtada Srour^1,2, Rabih Jahjah^1,2, Nicolas Duget³, Marc Lemaire³, Daoud Naoufal^1,2*

¹Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination Inorganique et Organométallique (LCIO), Université Libanaise, Faculté des Sciences I, Hadath, Liban.
²Ecole Doctorale des Sciences et Technologie EDST, PRASE, Université Libanaise, Hadath, Liban.
³Institut de Chimie et Biochimie Moléculaires et Supramoléculaires (ICBMS), UMR 5246 CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France.

Several types of solid acid catalysts were prepared based on oxides like (ZrO₂, TiO₂, HfO₂, MCM-41 and SBA-15), using two main preparation methods: the precipitation and the sol-gel methods. Each catalyst was subjected to two types of impregnations: sulfate ions using sulfuric acid as precursor and niobium using niobium oxalate as precursor. These prepared catalysts were tested in the etherification reaction of 2-naphtol, where the catalysts showed both acidic and redox properties. The acidic character was manifested through the formation of 2-butoxynaphtalene (with moderate yields) when oxide is sulfated, and the redox character (when impregnated with niobium) manifested through the formation of the interesting product 2-ethylnaphtofuran (with low yields) and other products that were a result of oxidative coupling of two 2-naphtol molecules (binol and acetal of binol). However despite the effort, several attempts to increase the yield of 2-ethylnaphtofuran did not work. All products prepared were obtained in pure form and characterized by 1H and 13C NMR, GC and MS.

Sulfated Oxides, Mesoporous Materials, Niobium, Solid Acid Catalysis, Etherification

Hussein, A. , Nahas, H. , Jahjah, M. , Srour, M. , Jahjah, R. , Duget, N. , Lemaire, M. and Naoufal, D. (2018) Preparation and Catalytic Properties of Various Oxides and Mesoporous Materials Containing Niobium and Sulfate Ions, in the Etherification Reaction of 2-Naphtol. International Journal of Organic Chemistry, 8, 16-40. doi: 10.4236/ijoc.2018.81002.