Catalytic oxidation of hydrocarbons with hydrogen peroxide by vanadium-based polyoxometalates

Vanadium compounds have attracted much attention because they have widely been used for homogeneous, heterogeneous, industrial, and biological oxidation processes with alkyl hydroperoxides, H₂O₂, and O₂. The present review summarizes recent developments for homogeneous and heterogeneous liquid-phase oxidation of hydrocarbons with H₂O₂ catalyzed by vanadium complexes and vanadium-based polyoxometalates including our recent studies on selective oxidation of hydrocarbons with H₂O₂ catalyzed by divanadium-substituted polyoxotungstates, [γ-SiW₁₀O₃₆V₂(μ-OH)₂]^4? (I) and [γ-PW₁₀O₃₆V₂(μ-OH)₂]^3? (II).