NiO Nanomaterial Functionalized with Organic Gel Molecules for Heterogeneous Asymmetric Catalysis

Abstract

Chiral inorganic nanomaterials have a wide range of applications including sensing, catalysis, and electronics. Low molecular weight chiral organogels are widely used in organic fluids, pharmaceuticals, drug delivery, self-assembled materials, electrolytes, and liquid crystals. In this study, we report the synthesis of chiral organogels that mimic the properties of Bingham pseudoplastic with Herschel-Bulkley consistency. Furthermore, chiral NiO nanoparticles were prepared in the presence of chiral gels. The development of chiral enantiomerically pure solids for heterogeneous asymmetric catalysis is of great importance in the pharmaceutical industry. The synthesized chiral material can effectively catalyze the asymmetric Michael addition of malonates with chalcones in high yields and with excellent enantioselectivity. The potential of our catalyst was verified by recycling the catalyst in the asymmetric reaction for a number of times. © 2024 American Chemical Society.