Metallo-hydrazone complexes immobilized in zeolite Y: Synthesis, identification and acid violet-1 degradation

Copper(II), cobalt(II) and nickel(II) complexes of hydrazone ligand (SAPH) derived from salicylaldehyde and phenylhydrazine have been encapsulated in zeolite-Y super cages via ship-in-a-bottle synthesis. Detailed characterization of the intrazeolitic complexes were performed by elemental analysis, spectral (FT-IR, UV–Vis.) studies, magnetic measurements and X-ray diffraction. Furthers, surface texture and thermal analysis (TG, DTG, DTA) have provided further evidence for successful immobilization of the metal complexes inside zeolite Y. Investigation of the stereochemistry of these incorporated chelates pointed out that, SAPH ligand is capable to coordinate with the central metal through the (CN), phenolic (OH) and (NH) groups forming polynuclear structures. The involvement of zeolite oxygen in coordination was postulated in the hybrid materials. The intrazeolitic copper, cobalt and nickel–SAPH complexes have distorted tetrahedral, octahedral and square-pyramidal configurations, respectively. The zeolite encapsulated complexes are thermally stable up to 800 °C except Cu(II) sample which is thermally stable up to midpoint 428 °C. The assessment of the catalytic activity was performed by the use of the photo-degradation of acid violet-1 dye as a probe reaction in presence of H2O2 as an oxidant. Decolorization of acid violet-1 dye was examined under the same conditions whereas the unpromoted zeolite and CuII, CoII, NiII–hydrazone complexes supported on zeolite showed 13% and 76%, 53%, 43% color removal, respectively. The results revealed that, the zeolite encapsulated Cu(II) complex generally exhibited better catalytic efficiency (76%) compared with other investigated zeolite encapsulated metal–hydrazone samples.

► Synthesis of new materials including a hydrazone did not utilize before in this trend.
► Identifying the composition and structure of the encapsulated complexes.
► Growing up numbers of heterogeneous catalysts.
► Preparation of new materials able to stimulate the acid violet-1 dye degradation.
► Cu(II)–hydrazone/NaY has a better catalytic efficiency.