ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Synthesis and characterization of a magnetically recoverable molybdenum catalyst for CO₂ fixation and glucose oxidation

Hamid Zeighami Nejad, Mehrji Khosravan, Fatemeh Khajoee Nejad, and Hojatollah Khabazzadeh

Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran

E-mail: khosro_m@uk.ac.ir

Received: 7 February 2025  Accepted: 30 May 2025

Abstract:

This study presents a novel heterogeneous catalyst for the chemical fixation of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into cyclic carbonates. A molybdenum (Mo) complex was successfully immobilized on silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@APTMS), resulting in a highly efficient and reusable catalyst. Characterization techniques such as FT-IR, XRD, SEM, TGA, VSM, and EDS confirmed the successful synthesis and immobilization of the catalyst. The catalytic performance of Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@APTMSMoO₂L was evaluated in the coupling reaction between CO₂ and epichlorohydrin. Under optimized conditions (60 °C, 1 bar CO₂, 10 mg catalyst, 6 h), the catalyst achieved a 96% conversion rate with excellent selectivity for the desired cyclic carbonate product. Notably, the catalyst exhibited remarkable stability and reusability, maintaining high catalytic activity for at least five consecutive cycles. Moreover, the complex demonstrated remarkably effective catalytic performance in the oxidation of glucose. This was achieved under benign conditions, specifically in an aqueous environment at ambient temperature, utilizing oxygen as the oxidizing agent. Notably, the conversion efficiency reached an impressive 95%.

Keywords: CO2 fixation; Heterogeneous catalyst; Cyclic carbonates; Glucose oxidation; Magnetic nanoparticles; Molybdenum complex

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-025-04170-w

Chemical Papers 79 (9) 6025–6040 (2025)