Ceria-supported vinylpyridine polymers: synthesis, characterization and application in catalysis

A simple, one-step synthesis of 4-vinylpyridine polymer crosslinked with 2% divinylbenzene [poly(4vp-dvb)] anchored with ceria nanocrystals via in situ reactions that involve simultaneous formation of the polymer and ceria nanocrystals is presented. The polymer support is formed by free radical suspension polymerization of the monomers, while ceria nanocrystals are generated from CeCl<SUB>3</SUB>·7H<SUB>2</SUB>O by the homogeneous precipitation method in a single pot. The polymer supports were characterized by XRD, TEM, SEM, ESCA, and TGA and then tested for their ability as heterogeneous recyclable catalysts in a Biginelli reaction. The catalytic activities of these supports were found to be far superior to the two-step conventional one and simultaneous microporous bead counterparts. Reusability is an added advantage over the other regularly used cerium-based catalysts in aqueous media. The significant increase in the catalytic activity is due to the higher Ce/N ratio and predominance of well-defined and more reactive exposed planes of ceria nanocrystals on the new supports. Such catalysts are of great importance due to environmental, practical and economical concerns