Synthesis and characterization of mesoporous poly (4-methylvinylpyridinium hydroxide) as an efficient heterogeneous organocatalyst

Mesoporous poly (4-methylvinylpyridinium hydroxide) (mp-P4MVPH) was prepared as a novel highly efficient purely organic heterogeneous basic catalyst. The physical and chemical properties of the catalyst were investigated by XRD, FT-IR, TG and BET techniques. mp-P4MVPH was effectively employed for the Knoevenagel and Henry reactions. The catalytic activity of this catalyst was compared with P4MVPH/SBA-15 composite to clarify the advantages of purely organic mesoporous materials as catalyst. The results showed that the activity and stability of mp-P4MVPH was excellent. This unique result opens new perspectives for application of purely organic mesoporous polymers as structurally defined hydrophobic catalyst in catalytic reactions.