NiO Nanomaterial Functionalized with Organic Gel Molecules for Heterogeneous Asymmetric\nCatalysis

Chiral\ninorganic nanomaterials have a wide range of applications\nincluding sensing, catalysis, and electronics. Low molecular weight\nchiral organogels are widely used in organic fluids, pharmaceuticals,\ndrug delivery, self-assembled materials, electrolytes, and liquid\ncrystals. In this study, we report the synthesis of chiral organogels\nthat mimic the properties of Bingham pseudoplastic with Herschel–Bulkley\nconsistency. Furthermore, chiral NiO nanoparticles were prepared in\nthe presence of chiral gels. The development of chiral enantiomerically\npure solids for heterogeneous asymmetric catalysis is of great importance\nin the pharmaceutical industry. The synthesized chiral material can\neffectively catalyze the asymmetric Michael addition of malonates\nwith chalcones in high yields and with excellent enantioselectivity.\nThe potential of our catalyst was verified by recycling the catalyst\nin the asymmetric reaction for a number of times.