The United Nations (UN) has proclaimed 2019 as the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements (IYPT 2019). For that reason, it is considered pertinent to highlight the importance of the periodic system in the scientific and technological development of the chemistry; therefore, a discussion of some applications of the periodicity of the elements for designing new materials is carried out. In this work, some periodic trends of both molecules and complex structures of materials are discussed, by selecting different cases of the chemical periodicity applied to improve and design steels with higher wear resistance, prepare refractory materials and synthesize chalcogenides glasses, among others. Finally, the proposed subjects and the regularities argued in this work are considered complementary contexts of exceptional interest to motivate the meaningful learning of the periodic table taking into account the current scientific and technological researches.

The interest for core-shells has been increased in the recent years due to their improved and modifiable properties. In this work, Fe3O4-TiO2 and Fe3O4-SiO2 core-shells were successfully synthesized from an industrially produced magnetite-rich powder with micro- and nanometric particle sizes, superparamagnetic behavior and saturation magnetization of 49 emu/g. The reverse microemulsion method was used to the synthesis of these core-shells. X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, electron microscopy (SEM-TEM), and magnetization curves were used to characterize the solids. Core-shells with different morphology and size, coating of crystalline TiO2 (anatase) or amorphous silica, and superparamagnetic performance at room temperature (300 K) were obtained.

Resumen Se describió la intervención del mineral magnetita como catalizador o como soporte catalitico, un material inorgánico con una estructura de espinela inversa (FeFe204), en el desarrollo de un número importante de reacciones quimicas de interes cientifico, tecnológico y ambiental. Debido a la necesidad actual de generar procesos quimicos eficientes y favorables ambientalmente, la magnetita se ha convertido en un material promisorio en los contextos de la quimica verde, la quimica fina y la catálisis heterogénea. Este óxido de hierro se ha estudiado en diversas reacciones: catalizador másico, soporte catalitico de metales y de óxidos metálicos, núcleo de catalizadores tipo core-shell, o modificado mediante el anclaje de organocatalizadores y complejos metálicos. Se discute el desempeno catalitico de estos sistemas basados en magnetita, en reacciones de catálisis asimetrica, ambiental, ácido-base, de óxido-reducción, de sintesis multicomponente y de acoplamiento C-C. Particularmente, dichos catalizadores han mostrado enorme importancia en ciertas reacciones de tipo Sonogashira, Sonogashira-Hagihara, Mannich, Ullman, Knoevenagel, Suzuki-Miyaura y Fenton heterogénea, entre otras. Finalmente, se detallaron algunos usos tecnológicos de la magnetita en el contexto nacional (Colombia) y se intentó localizar geográficamente los depósitos importantes.

Abstract This manuscript contains a review on the mediation of magnetite, an inorganic material with an inverse spinel structure (FeFe204), being used as either catalyst or catalytic support in many chemical reactions of scientific, technological and environmental interest. Because of current awareness on the efficient and environmentally friendly chemical processes, magnetite has become as a promising material in contexts such as green chemistry, fine chemistry, and heterogeneous catalysis. This iron oxide has been used in several reactions as bulk catalyst, catalytic support of either metals or metal oxides, core in catalysts type core-shell, or as solid modified by grafting with organocatalysts and metal complexes. The catalytic performance of these systems has been described in some chemical processes such as: asymmetric catalysis, environmental catalysis, acid-base catalysis, redox reactions, multicomponent synthesis reactions, and those of C-C coupling. Particularly, these catalysts have shown large importance in a variety of reactions: Sonogashira, Sonogashira-Hagihara, Mannich, Ullman, Knoevenagel, Suzuki-Miyaura, and the Fenton heterogeneous reaction, among others. Finally, some technological uses of magnetite in the national context (Colombia) are detailed, and localizing geographically the most important deposits of this mineral in the Colombian region was intended.

Resumo Foi descrita uma intervenção da mineral magnetita, um material inorgânico com estrutura de espinela inversa (FeFe204), como catalisador ou como suporte catalitico no desenvolvimento de um número importante de reações quimicas de interesse cientifico, tecnológico e ambiental. Devido à necessidade atual de gerar processos quimicos eficientes e favoráveis ambientalmente, a magnetita surge como um material promissório nos contextos da quimica verde, da quimica fina e da catálise heterogénea. Este óxido de ferro e objeto de estudo em diversas reações: catalizador mássico, suporte catalitico de metais e de óxidos metálicos, núcleo de catalizadores tipo core-shell, ou modificado mediante a ancoragem de organocatalizadores e complexos metálicos. E descrito o desempenho catalitico deste tipo de sistemas em algumas reacóes de catálise assimetrica, ambiental, ácido-base, de óxido-redução, de sintese multicomponente y de acoplamento C-C. Particularmente, ditos catalisadores tem mostrado enorme importáncia em certas reações do tipo Sonogashira, Sonogashira-Hagihara, Mannich, Ullman, Knoevenagel, Suzuki-Miyaura e a reação Fenton heterogénea, entre outras. Finalmente, são detalhados alguns usos tecnológicos da magnetita no contexto nacional (Colômbia) e realiza-se um esforço por localizar geograficamente os depósitos mais importantes do mineral no território colombiano.