Green and efficient oxidation of benzylic alcohols with hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by an inorganic-organic hybrid catalyst

Abstract

Inorganic-organic hybrid catalysts 1-POM(M) were prepared by electrostatic interaction between transition metal-substituted polyoxometalates, {[PW11MO 39]4- [M = Cr(III), Fe(III)], [PW11MO39]5, [M= Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II)], [PW11VO40]4-}, and branched organic polyammonium, (tris[2-(dimethylammonium)ethyl]-1,3,5- benzenetricarboxylate), and characterized by elemental analyses, UV-vis and FT IR spectroscopic techniques, XRD, SEM, and Thermogravimetric-Differential thermogravimetric analyses. The hybrid material 1-POM(Zn) was an efficient and selective heterogeneous catalyst in the oxidation of benzylic alcohols to their corresponding carbonyl compounds with hydrogen peroxide. The catalyst was reused several times without significant loss of catalytic activity. © 2013 Taylor & Francis.