A novel polyacrylonitrile hybrid fiber mat supported solid acid catalyst was prepared by electrospinning, and its catalytic activities were carefully investigated through acetalization reactions. The results showed that this hybrid fiber mat exhibits high activity for the reactions, with average yields over 95%. Besides having catalytic activities similar to the solid acid, the heterogeneous solid acid/polyacrylonitrile mat can be reused in six runs without significant loss of catalytic activities. The large size of the hybrid fiber mat greatly facilitates recovery of the catalyst from the reaction mixture. The high and stable catalytic activities of the hybrid fiber mat hold great potential for green chemical processes and preparation of membrane reactors in the future.
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