Functionalized Nylon 6 Fabric as an Efficient and Recyclable Catalyst for Knoevenagel Condensation

Abstract

Nylon 6 fabrics were chemically modified via reduction with BH3 for being functionalized as heterogeneous base organocatalysts for Knoevenagel condensation. The results of FTIR, XPS, and SEM indicated the successful modification of nylon 6 fabrics. With a low catalytic dosage of 6.6 mol % and a short reaction time (2 h), the fabric catalysts were well applicable to Knoevenagel condensation of a wide range of substrates and up to 98% yield could be obtained. In addition, the fabric catalysts have some beneficial advantages in terms of easy separation, good reusability, and recyclability (up to 10 times).