Post-synthetically modified SBA-15 with NH2-coordinately immobilized iron-oxine: SBA-15/NH2-FeQ3 as a Fenton-like hybrid catalyst for the selective oxidation of organic sulfides

A new modified SBA-15 meso-material with NH2-coordinately immobilized iron-oxine'' was fabricated by stepwise covalent grafting of -NH2 and then NH2-coordinate immobilization of tris(8-quinolinolato) iron onto the channels of SBA-15. The structural properties and chemical nature of SBA-15/NH2-FeQ(3) were characterized by FTIR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), SEM-EDX/mapping, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), low angle X-ray diffraction (L-XRD), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), N-2-adsorption-desorption isotherms (BET) and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). A Fenton-like green and eco-friendly procedure for the catalytic oxidation of aromatic organic sulfides to sulfones using H2O2 was investigated for the synthesised Fe/SBA-15 catalyst. This porous catalyst was found to be reusable for ten runs without appreciable change in the activity, or the composition of the catalyst.