Applications of Acidic Silica Catalysts
Acidic silica catalysts are commonly used in esterification, acylation, hydroxylation, and alkylation reactions, particularly in organic synthesis. For example, acidic silica (SiO2/SO3H) catalysts can be used to synthesize esters from aromatic hydrocarbons and carboxylic acid esters or carbonyl compounds.
Applications of Basic Silica Catalysts
Basic silica catalysts are commonly used in transesterification, addition, and cleavage reactions. For example, silica reacts with nucleophiles to form anions, catalyzing the ring-opening of epoxides.
