A recyclable thermo-responsive catalytic system based on poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-coated POM@SBA-15 nanospheres

• A novel nanoreactor was fabricated.
• It showed excellent on/off controlled catalytic activity.
• Recyclable catalytic processes show thermo-responsive behavior.

A nanoreactor with thermo-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) coated on the external pores of SBA-15 and a Keggin-type polyoxometalate (POM), molybdovanadophosphoric acid (H5PV2Mo10O40) loaded into the internal pores were fabricated. It showed excellent catalytic activity toward catalytic wet hydrogen peroxide oxidation (CWPO) of phenol at 25 °C (below lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of PNIPAM). When the temperature was 50 °C (above LCST), the rate of CWPO dropped significantly. These results indicated that the nanoreactor shows the repeated on/off catalytic activity switched by temperature control. The recyclable catalytic processes were successfully conducted.

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