Synthesis and Characterization of Ordered Mesoporous Resin (OMR) for Pharmaceutical Synthesis

Ordered Mesoporous Resin (OMR) is an organic polymer with applications in catalysis, energy storage, sensors, adsorption and separation process. Current variants of OMR are produced using solvents such as ethanol as well as template (surfactants such as F-127). While these methods generate a porous structure, they produce waste and require an additional heating step to remove the template. Additionally reducing the use of solvents decreases the toxicity of the manufacturing process.

Through our research, a highly porous OMR has been produced using no solvents or templates but instead by using a hyperbranched polyethyleneimine. Pictures of the OMR were taken using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and show a highly porous structure. Then, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller theory (BET) was used to calculate surface area measurements to confirm the porosity of the OMR structures. Due to the porous nature and relative stability of the OMR it is highly suitable to be used as a structure to be modified for use in catalysis. Further development of a acid functionalized and palladium doped OMR are being analyzed for use in catalysis.

The polymer can be functionalized with acids which will optimize the catalysis step of creating pharmaceuticals. The initial aim of creating a porous yet stable structure of OMR is necessary to allow for an increased rate of reaction and to provide substantial surface area available for attaching functional groups. Having functional groups attached to the polymer will speed up the process, minimize the amount of waste produced, and will reduce the number of steps taken to create pharmaceuticals.

The other variant of OMR under development is doped with small quantities of Palladium. This is done with the goal of producing the high surface area OMR but with palladium uniformly distributed throughout the structure. This palladium doped catalyst has potential applications for the pharmaceutical industry to catalyze cross-coupling reactions. For this reaction, the palladium doped OMR is a heterogeneous catalyst thus eliminating the need for a difficult separation step to remove palladium from the mixture.