Alcohol‐Selective Oxidation in Water under Mild Conditions via a Novel Approach to Hybrid Composite Photocatalysts |
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Authors: | Dr Ali Abd‐Elaal Dr Francesco Parrino Dr Rosaria Ciriminna Prof Vittorio Loddo Prof Leonardo Palmisano Prof Mario Pagliaro |
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Institution: | 1.Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute, 1 Ahmed El-Zomor St., 11727, Cairo, Egypt;2.“Schiavello-Grillone” Photocatalysis Group, DEIM, Università degli Studi di Palermo, viale delle Scienze, 90128, Palermo, Italy;3.Istituto per lo Studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati, CNR, Via U. La Malfa, 153-90146, Palermo, Italy |
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Abstract: | The oxidation of alcohols to carbonyl compounds in a clean fashion (i.e., with water as a solvent or under solvent‐free conditions, and using O2 or H2O2 as the primary oxidant) is the subject of considerable research efforts. A new approach for the selective oxidation of soluble aromatic alcohols in water under mild conditions via a novel composite photocatalyst has been developed. The catalyst is synthesized by grafting 4‐(4‐(4‐hydroxyphenylimino)cyclohexa‐2,5dienylideneamino)phenol and silver nanoparticles onto the surface of moderately crystalline titanium dioxide. The titanium dioxide‐based composite was first extensively characterized and then employed in the catalytic oxidation of 4‐methoxybenzyl alcohol to 4‐methoxybenzaldehyde under UV irradiation in water at room temperature. The corresponding aldehyde was obtained with unprecedented high selectivity (up to 86 %). The method is general and opens the route to fabrication of photocatalytic composites based on titanium dioxide functionalized with shuttle organic molecules and metal nanoparticles for a variety of oxidative conversions. |
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Keywords: | alcohol oxidation composites nanostructures photocatalysis titanium dioxide |
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