Preparation of Amino-Modified Ti3C2/Mg3Al-LDH Composites and Their Application in Aldol Reaction

Graphical This study develops amino-modified Ti 3 C 2 /Mg 3 Al-LDH composites as solid base catalysts for aldol reactions. The composite reduces surface agglomeration, enhances active site exposure, and increases basicity, achieving 99% product yield under optimized conditions (60 °C, 30 min). It retains > 91% efficiency over five cycles, demonstrating superior stability and catalytic performance compared to non-modified LDHs. Aldol reaction is an important class of industrially catalyzed reactions for synthesizing high-value fine chemicals. Traditionally conducted under alkaline conditions, these reactions often utilize liquid alkali catalysts, which present challenges such as difficult separation and recovery and undesirable side reactions promoted by the catalyst. Solid base catalysts have received much attention and research in recent years to address these issues. In this study, magnesium–aluminum layered double hydroxides (MgAl-LDHs) were synthesized using magnesium chloride hexahydrate, aluminum chloride hexahydrate, and anhydrous sodium carbonate. These were subsequently combined with amino-modified Ti 3 C 2 to form composite materials. Characterization of the prepared Mg 3 Al-LDH/Ti 3 C 2 -NH 2 composites was conducted using X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirming the successful preparation of the composite material. The prepared Mg 3 Al-LDH/Ti 3 C 2 -NH 2 was applied as a catalyst in the aldol condensation reaction. Key factors such as catalyst dosage, reaction time, acetone amount, and temperature were investigated to optimize catalytic efficiency. Under optimal conditions—100 mg Mg 3 Al-LDH/Ti 3 C 2 -NH 2 , a reaction time of 0.5 h, 200 mg of p -nitrobenzaldehyde, 1 mL of acetone, and a reaction temperature of 60 °C—a yield of 99% was achieved. The result demonstrates that Mg 3 Al-LDH/Ti 3 C 2 -NH 2 exhibits excellent catalytic activity and holds promising potential for application in solid base catalysis.