One pot synthesis of chromium incorporated SBA-16 under acid medium-Application in the selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol derivatives

Cr-SBA-16 mesoporous silica heterogeneous catalysts (Si/Cr = 7, 14, and 28) were successfully synthesized by one-pot hydrothermal method at low acidic medium. The catalysts were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), N₂ adsorption-desorption at 77 K, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron (XPS) and Diffuse Reflectance UV–Vis (DRS) Spectroscopies, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. Herein, Cr-SBA-16 catalysts are evaluated in the selective catalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol derivatives using H₂O₂ as oxidant. From XPS and UV–Vis (DRS) spectroscopies the molar ratios between Cr⁶⁺/Cr³⁺ are found to increase versus chromium loading in the following order: Cr-SBA-16(28) < Cr-SBA-16(14) < Cr-SBA-16(7). Hence the highest Cr⁶⁺ in tetrahedrally environment is observed for Si/Cr = 7. We demonstrated for the first time that the selective catalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol (BzOH) using H₂O₂ over Cr-SBA-16 occurs through noncompetitive adsorption mechanism and the reaction is pseudo-first order to BzOH. The activity of the reaction depends on the symmetry of chromium species, herein, high activity is observed for tetrahedral chromium species in Cr-SBA-16(7). The absence of any chromium ions in the filtrate shows no chromium leaching from the silica framework.