Sugar-based micro/mesoporous hypercross-linked polymers with in situ embedded silver nanoparticles for catalytic reduction

Abstract

Porous hypercross-linked polymers based on perbenzylated monosugars (SugPOP-1–3) have been synthesized by Friedel–Crafts reaction using formaldehyde dimethyl acetal as an external cross-linker. Three perbenzylated monosugars with similar chemical structure were used as monomers in order to tune the porosity. These obtained polymers exhibit microporous and mesoporous features. The highest Brunauer–Emmett–Teller specific surface area for the resulting polymers was found to be 1220 m2 g−1, and the related carbon dioxide storage capacity was found to be 14.4 wt % at 1.0 bar and 273 K. As the prepared porous polymer SugPOP-1 is based on hemiacetal glucose, Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) can be successfully incorporated into the polymer by an in situ chemical reduction of freshly prepared Tollens’ reagent. The obtained AgNPs/SugPOP-1 composite demonstrates good catalytic activity in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) with an activity factor ka = 51.4 s−1 g−1, which is higher than some reported AgNP-containing composite materials.