Liquid-phase oxygenation of hydrocarbons with molecular oxygen catalyzed by Fe2Ni-substituted Keggin-type heteropolyanion

Abstract

Alkanes such as adamantane, ethylbenzene and cyclohexane, cyclohexene, and aldehydes are selectively oxidized to the corresponding alcohols, ketones, and acids with molecular oxygen alone catalyzed by the Fe(3-x)Ni(x)-substituted Keggin-type heteropolyanion, [PW9O37{Fe(3-x)Ni(x)(OAc)3}](9+x)- (x = predominantly 1). The catalytic activities of [PW9O37{Fe(3-x)Ni(x)(OAc)3}](9+x)- for the oxidation of cyclohexane and butyraldehyde were compared with mono-transition-metal substituted heteropolytungstates and other compounds having oxo-bridged tri-transition-metal sites. In addition, the effects of acetonitrile as a solvent and the addition of isobutyraldehyde were investigated.