Reverse micellar based synthesis of ultrafine MgO nanoparticles (8-10nm): Characterization and catalytic properties

Anisotropic nanostructures of magnesium oxalate dihydrate were synthesized using cationic surfactant based microemulsion method. The cationic surfactant plays an important role in forming the anisotropic structures. The oxalate nanostructures acts as an excellent precursor for the synthesis of fine magnesium oxide nanoparticles (∼10nm). Both the precursor and the oxide were characterized by using PXRD, IR, surface area and HRTEM. The surface area of these surfactant free oxide nanoparticles was found to be 108m²/g. The catalytic activity of this basic oxide was examined for the Claisen-Schmidt condensation reaction and was found to be comparable to the best reported for the conventionally prepared MgO. Chalcone formation was found to increase with time as observed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The reusability of the catalyst was checked by using the same catalyst twice which showed a reduced percentage (50% compared to first cycle) conversion.