Selective oxidation of benzylic alcohols with molecular oxygen catalyzed by copper-manganese oxide nanoparticles

Abstract

The catalytic activity of copper-manganese (CuMn) mixed oxide nanoparticles (Cu/Mn = 1:1) prepared by co-precipitation method has been studied for the selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol and its derivatives to the corresponding aldehydes using molecular oxygen as an oxidizing agent. A 100 % conversion of the alcohols was achieved with high selectivity (>99 %) to the corresponding aldehydes within a short reaction period at 102 °C. The best catalytic activity was obtained for the CuMn mixed oxide pre-calcined at 300 °C. The catalytic performance is also obtained to be dependent on the electronic and steric effects of the substituents present on phenyl ring. The catalyst has been characterized with a combination of various characterization techniques.