Synthesis and characterization of acidic ordered mesoporous organosilica SBA-15: Application to the hydrolysis of cellobiose and insight into the stability of the acidic functions

Sulfonated ordered mesoporous organosilica SBA-15 with two distinct local environments of the acid sites (1 and 2) were synthesized, characterized, and applied in acid-catalyzed reactions: cellobiose hydrolysis in hot water and isopropanol dehydration in gas phase. The hybrid catalysts containing sulfonated aromatic ring show a catalytic activity equivalent to that of Amberlyst A15 for the gas-phase dehydration reaction but exhibit an important sulfur leaching in hot water, and not surprisingly to high glucose yields. By contrast, the organosilica SBA-15 which contains sulfonated propyl group are less active in gas phase and in hot water reactions but is more stable in hot water allowing recycling.53