NANOSTRUCTURED CATALYSTS FOR THE ALDOL, KNOEVENAGEL, AND HENRY REACTIONS

This chapter discusses the recent research activities and results on heterogeneous catalysts for aldol, Knoevenagel, and Henry reactions, which are among the most important C‐C bond‐forming catalytic reactions. Nanostructured catalytic systems are the preferred types of materials because they have high surface areas and sometimes possess inherently unique catalytic activities. The most common synthetic approach to mesoporous catalysts for the aldol, Knoevenagel, and Henry reactions involves functionalization of the high‐surface‐area mesoporous silica material with the right‐type homogeneous catalytic groups for the respective reaction. A class of nanostructured polymeric systems that are widely used as catalysis include dendrimers. Dendrimers, also referred to as dendritic polymers, have been successfully utilized as support materials for metallic nanoparticles and for generating various catalytic or nanocatalytic systems for various organic reactions, including the Henry, Knoevenagel, and aldol reactions.