Selective Oxidation of Cyclohexane to Cyclohexanol/Cyclohexanone by Surface Peroxo Species on Cu-Mesoporous TiO2

Selective oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanol/cyclohexanone (KA-oil) is an important chemical process, which is still constrained by low conversion and selectivity and high energy consumption. In this study, Cu-doped mesoporous TiO₂ (Cu-MT) has been successfully synthesized via calcinating MIL-125(Ti) doped with copper acetylacetonate, which shows high reactivity in selective oxidation of cyclohexane to KA-oil by persulfate (PS) with the desirable cyclohexane conversion of 16.8% and a selectivity of 98.0% under mild conditions and the low ratio of PS/cyclohexane of 1:1. A series of characterizations and density functional theory calculations reveal that the doped Cu(I,II) on Cu-MT is the reactive site for non-radical activation of PS with the moderate elongation of the O-O bond in PS, which then abstracts 1H (1H⁺ + 1e^-) from cyclohexane to form Cy^• and eventually KA-oil. This study gives new insight on the importance of moderately activated PS in selective oxidation of C-H.

Enhancing catalytic aerobic oxidation performance of cyclohexaneviasize regulation of mixed-valence {V16} cluster-based metal–organic frameworks

Size-controllable synthesis of mixed-valence {V₁₆} cluster-based metal–organic frameworks used for highly efficient catalytic oxidation of cyclohexane.

Ion-exchanged binuclear Ca2OX clusters, X = 1-4, as active sites of selective oxidation over MOR and FAU zeolites

A new series of calcium oxide clusters Ca(2)O(X) (X = 1-4) at cationic positions of mordenite (MOR) and faujasite (FAU) is studied via the isolated cluster approach. Active oxide framework fragments are represented via 8-membered window (8R) in MOR, and two 6R and 4R windows (6R+4R) possessing one common Si-O-Si moiety in FAU. Structural similarities between the Ca(2)O(X)(8R) and Ca(2)O(X)(6R+4R) moieties are considered up to X = 4. High oxidation possibilities of the Ca(2)O(2)(nR) and Ca(2)O(3)(nR) systems are demonstrated relative to CO, whose oxidation over the Ca-exchanged zeolite forms is well studied experimentally. Relevance of the oxide cluster models with respect to trapping and desorption of singlet dioxygen is discussed.

Oxidation of H2 and CO over Ion-Exchanged X and Y Zeolites

Zeolites X and Y exchanged with Group IA cations were synthesized by aqueous ion exchange of NaX and NaY and used as catalysts in the oxidation of H2 and CO at temperatures ranging from 473 to 573 K. The CsX zeolite was the most active material of the series for both reactions whereas HX was the least active. Moreover, the oxidation of CO in H2 was very selective (approximately 80%) over the alkali-metal exchanged materials. Isotopic transient analysis of CO oxidation during steady-state reaction at 573 K was used to evaluate the coverage of reactive carbon-containing intermediates that lead to product as well as the pseudo-first-order rate constant of the reaction. A factor of 4 enhancement in activity achieved by exchanging Cs for Na was attributed to a higher coverage of reactive intermediates in CsX because the pseudo-first-order rate constant was nearly same for the two materials (approximately 0.7 s(-1)). The number of reactive intermediates on both materials was orders of magnitude below the number of alkali metal cations in the zeolites but was similar to the number of impurity Fe atoms in the samples. Because the trend in Fe impurity loading was the same as that for oxidation activity, a role of transition metal impurities in zeolite oxidation catalysis is suggested.

Interplay of Bonding and Geometry of the Adsorption Complexes of Light Alkanes within Cationic Faujasites. Combined Spectroscopic and Computational Study

A FT-IR spectroscopic study of methane, ethane, and propane adsorption on magnesium and calcium forms of zeolite Y reveals different vibrational properties of the adsorbed molecules depending on the exchanged cation. This is attributed to different adsorption conformations of the hydrocarbons. Two-fold eta(2) coordination of light alkanes is realized for MgY, whereas in case of CaY zeolite quite different adsorption modes are found, involving more C-H bonds in the interaction with the cation. The topological analysis of the electron density distribution function of the adsorption complexes shows that when a hydrocarbon coordinates to the exchanged Mg(2+) ions, van der Waals bonds between H atoms of the alkane and basic zeolitic oxygens significantly contribute to the overall adsorption energy, whereas in case of CaY zeolite such interactions play only an indirect role. It is found that, due to the much smaller ionic radius of the Mg(2+) ion as compared to that of Ca(2+), the former ions are significantly shielded with the surrounding oxygens of the zeolitic cation site. This results in a small electrostatic contribution to the stabilization of the adsorbed molecules. In contrast, for CaY zeolite the stabilization of alkanes in the electrostatic field of the partially shielded Ca(2+) cation significantly contributes to the adsorption energy. This is in agreement with the experimentally observed lower overall absorption of C-H stretching vibrations of alkanes loaded to MgY as compared to those for CaY zeolite. The preferred conformation of the adsorbed alkanes is controlled by the bonding within the adsorption complexes that, in turn, strongly depends on the size and location of the cations in the zeolite cavity.

Confined Space-Controlled Olefin−Oxygen Charge Transfer in Zeolites

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations on the initial charge-transfer step in the photo-oxidation of alkenes in cationic zeolites are presented. The model system used represents a part of the Y-zeolite supercage containing two II sites with alkali-earth cations and coadsorbed 2,3-dimethylbutene-2 (DMB) and O(2) on them. It is found that the electrostatic field of the zeolite cavity plays only a minor role for the stabilization of a charge-transfer state, whereas the relative orientation and the distance between the DMB and O(2) molecules are the most important factors. On the basis of these results, the photo-oxidation considered is due to a confinement effect in which the reagents are oriented in a suitable "pre-transition state" configuration.

Formation of M2+(O2)(C3H8) Species in Alkaline-Earth-Exchanged Y Zeolite during Propane Selective Oxidation

The adsorption of oxygen and d2-propane (CH3CD2CH3) on a series of alkaline-earth-exchanged Y zeolite at room temperature was studied with in situ infrared spectroscopy. Surprisingly at room temperature, oxygen adsorption led to the formation of supercage M2+(O2) species. Further, at low propane coverage, propane was found to adsorb linearly on Mg2+ cations, but a ring-adsorption structure was observed for propane adsorbing on Ca2+, Sr2+, and Ba2+ cations. It is demonstrated that O2 and propane can simultaneously attach to one active center (M2+) to form a M2+(O2)(C3H8) species, which is proposed to be the precursor in thermal propane selective oxidation. Selectivity to acetone in the propane oxidation reaction decreases with increasing temperature and cation size due to the formation of 2-propanol and carboxylate ions. An extended reaction scheme for the selective oxidation of propane over alkaline earth exchanged Y zeolites is proposed.

Visible light-induced selective oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanone on Cr–Si binary oxide with molecular oxygen

Cr-Si binary oxide prepared by a sol-gel method, when activated by visible light, catalyses highly selective oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanone with molecular oxygen.

Mechanistic organic chemistry in a microreactor. Zeolite-controlled photooxidations of organic sulfides

The intrazeolite and solution photooxygenations of a series of sulfides have been compared. The unusual zeolite environment enhances the rates of reaction, it suppresses the Pummerer rearrangements, and it has a dramatic effect on the sulfoxide/sulfone ratio. A detailed kinetic study utilizing trapping experiments and intramolecular competition provides evidence for cation complexation to a persulfoxide intermediate as the underlying phenomenon for the unique intrazeolite behavior. For example, the enhanced rate of reaction is traced to the cation stabilization of the persulfoxide toward unproductive decomposition to substrate and triplet oxygen.