Chiral (Salen) Cobalt Complexes Encapsulated in Mesoporous MFI as an Enantioselective Catalyst for Asymmetric Ring Opening of Terminal Epoxides

MFI structural zeolite (ZSM-5 and Sililcalite) was treated with hot NaOH solution to make mesoporous channels in the microporous crystals. Inner mesopore size could be controlled by changing the concentration of NaOH solution. The pore structure of alkaline-treated MFI zeolite was studied by instrumental analysis. To obtain the cage type mesopores, Ti-coating on the outside MFI crystals before alkaline treatment was investigated to be the most effective. Co(III) salen complexes monomers were successfully encapsulated in mesoporous MFI-type zeolite by ship-in-a-bottle method. The heterogeneous catalyst could be applied in asymmetric ring opening of terminal epoxides by phenol derivatives. It showed very high enantioselectivity with yield in the catalysis.