Layered materials with coexisting acidic and basic sites for catalytic one-pot reaction sequences.

Acidic montmorillonite-immobilized primary amines (H-mont-NH(2)) were found to be excellent acid-base bifunctional catalysts for one-pot reaction sequences, which are the first materials with coexisting acid and base sites active for acid-base tamdem reactions. For example, tandem deacetalization-Knoevenagel condensation proceeded successfully with the H-mont-NH(2), affording the corresponding condensation product in a quantitative yield. The acidity of the H-mont-NH(2) was strongly influenced by the preparation solvent, and the base-catalyzed reactions were enhanced by interlayer acid sites.