Oxidation of alkyl aromatics to ketones by tert-butyl hydroperoxide on manganese dioxide catalyst

The catalytic activity of the manganese oxide was investigated for the oxidative functionalization of alkylaromatics to benzylic ketones using tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) as an oxidant. Manganese oxides of different types were tested for this reaction. Of all the oxides, the nano amorphous manganese dioxide exhibited significant catalytic activity and selectivity for the reaction. The nano amorphous MnO₂/TBHP catalytic system could also be reused for six consecutive cycles with no considerable loss in catalytic activity.