Core-shell structured MgAl-LDO@Al-MS hexagonal nanocomposite: an all inorganic acid-base bifunctional nanoreactor for one-pot cascade reactions

A core-shell structured nanocomposite, with hexagonal Mg-Al mixed oxide nanoplates derived from LDHs as the inner core and Al-containing mesoporous silica as the outer shell, was prepared using an inorganic, low cost and simple route. The mesoporous silica shell was not only capable of protecting the MgAl-LDO core, but also offered a high surface area for the derivation of functional acid catalytic sites. The MgAl-LDO@Al-MS nanocomposite served as an efficient acid-base bifunctional nanoreactor for one-pot multistep cascade reaction sequences, due to the good spatial separation of antagonistic sites via the core-shell structure design, confinement and enrichment effect of the reaction species endowed by the nanoreactor features.