Chinese Journal of Applied Chemistry

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Selective Oxidation of Benzyl Alcohol Catalyzed by Polyoxometalates:A Green Recyclable Catalytic System with High Performance

SU Hao, YANG Chun*   

  1. (Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Biomedical Functional Materials,Jiangsu Key
    Laboratory of Biofunctional Materials,College of Chemistry and Material
    Science,Nanjing Normal University,Nanjing 210097,China)
  • Received:2013-10-30 Revised:2014-01-14 Published:2014-08-10 Online:2014-08-10
  • Contact: Chun Yang

Abstract: Several triethylamine(TEA) salts of heteropolyacids were synthesized by acidbase reaction using Keggin-type heteropolyacids and TEA as raw materials. These salts were used to catalyze the oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde in water with 30% aqueous hydrogen peroxide as oxidant without employment of phase transfer catalyst with long chain. These salts possess higher catalytic activities or selectivities than the corresponding acids. [TEAH]H2PW12O40 exhibits the best performance of all catalysts. Under the optimum reaction conditions, the conversion of benzyl alcohol and the selectivity of benzaldehyde is over 99.5% and ~100%, respectively, over [TEAH]H2PW12O40. After the reaction, the catalyst can be isolated and used for next oxidation cycle, and the activity and selectivity are maintained in recycle. In view of the fact that water is used as reaction medium instead of organic solvent, this system is effective and green for selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol.

Key words: benzyl alcohol, selective oxidation, polyoxometalates, catalysis

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