Modified Rice Husk Silica from Biowaste: An Efficient Catalyst for Transesterification of Diethyl Malonate and Benzyl Alcohol

Molybdenum and lanthanum oxide modified silica-based catalysts were prepared from the agricultural waste rice husk. These synthesized catalysts were characterized by various spectroscopic and non-spectroscopic techniques. The catalytic performance was investigated by transesterification reaction between diethyl malonate and benzyl alcohol in the liquid phase using modified silica as a heterogeneous catalyst. Molybdenum modified silica-based catalyst showed the highest conversion efficiency of 95.6% and selectivity of 96.8% for dibenzyl malonate. The reaction conditions were optimized to give maximum efficiency with the highest selectivity in a solvent-free green method. Graphic Abstract