Catalytic activity and electrochemical properties of Cu(II)-Schiff base complex encapsulated in the nanocavities of zeolite-Y for oxidation of olefins and sulfides

Copper(II) complex of a Schiff base ligand (H₂L) was synthesized, characterized, and encapsulated in the cavities of zeolite-Y by a fixed ligand method. The zeolite encapsulated metal complex (CuL-Y) was characterized using FT-IR, UV–Vis and atomic absorption spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy images (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET). The catalytic activity and electrochemical behavior of the encapsulated complex has been studied in the oxidation of a wide range of sulfides and olefins using H₂O₂ in ethanol. This heterogeneous catalytic system shows a dramatic increase in total turnover number (46,500) for oxidation of styrene. It could be readily reused for at least eight successive times without discernible activity and selectivity deterioration, which displays potential for practical applications.