Selective and efficient bifunctional and trifunctional nanoporous catalysts and methods of synthesis thereof

A method of making a catalyst, the method comprising:

• a) providing a solid particulate silicate MCM-41 mesoporous substrate having surface silanol groups that define available sites for postgrafting with catalytic functional groups;
• b) stirring a weight of the solid particulate silicate MCM-41 mesoporous substrate in ethanol in a first vessel;
• c) heating the weight of the solid particulate silicate MCM-41 mesoporous substrate in ethanol in the first vessel to a reflux temperature of 78° C. and adding a weight of 3-aminopropylsilane with stirring;
• d) maintaining the first vessel at the reflux temperature of 78° C. for a refluxing duration to cause postgrafting of 3-aminopropyl groups onto a portion of the available sites of the solid particulate silicate MCM-41 mesoporous substrate to form first solid particulate catalyst in the ethanol, the postgrafted 3-aminopropyl groups replacing between 6 and 15 percent of the surface silanol groups defining the available sites, and the remainder of surface silanol groups remaining as available sites.