Thiazolium-­‐based catalysts for the etherification of benzylic alcohols under solvent-­free conditions

In this work, thiazolium and imidazolium hybrid materials (SBA-15-Thia and SBA-15-Imi) were prepared by grafting the bis-vinylthiazolium or imidazolium salts onto thiol functionalized SBA-15 mesostructured silica. The catalytic activity was tested for the etherification of 1-phenylethanol, in heterogeneous conditions. The reactions were performed under different gas phases and reaction times. The SBA-15-Thia displayed an excellent catalytic performance, also with others benzyl alcohols. This material was successfully used in seven consecutive runs. Further studies were carried out in homogenous conditions. The results obtained allow proving that oxygen play an active role in the reaction probably regenerating the catalysts. This study represents the first use of thiazolium-based compounds as catalysts for the etherification reaction of alcohols.