In-situ synthesis of hydrogen peroxide in tandem with selective oxidation reactions: A mini-review

Abstract

One-pot combination of the in-situ generation of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) with selective oxidation reactions enhances the environmental and economic attractiveness of the use of H 2 O 2 as green oxidant at industrial scale. This tandem reaction improves not only the safety aspects associated to H 2 O 2 storage and transportation but also reduces the capital and operation costs. This review covers the progress in the field focussing on the areas of catalysis development, mechanistic understanding and engineering approaches (such as membrane reactors) for specific systems involving epoxidation of propylene oxide, hydroxylation of benzene, oxygenate synthesis from methane and Fenton processes, highlighting the main challenges to overcome in the near future.