The completely selective oxidation of toluene to benzaldehyde with dioxygen,without the need touse H_(2)O_(2),halogens,or any radical initiators,is a reaction long desired but never previously successful.Here,we demon...The completely selective oxidation of toluene to benzaldehyde with dioxygen,without the need touse H_(2)O_(2),halogens,or any radical initiators,is a reaction long desired but never previously successful.Here,we demonstrate the enzyme‐like mechanism of the reaction over hexadecylphosphateacid(HDPA)‐bonded nano‐oxides,which appear to interact with toluene through specific recognition.The active sites of the catalyst are related to the ability of HDPA to change its bonding to theoxides between monodentate and bidentate during the reaction cycle.This greatly enhances themobility of the crystal oxygen or the reactivity of the catalyst,specifically in toluene transformations.The catalytic cycle of the catalyst is similar to that of methane monooxygenase.In thepresence of catalyst and through O_(2)oxidation,the conversion of toluene to benzaldehyde is initiatedat 70°C.We envision that this novel mechanism reveals alternatives for an attractive route to designhigh‐performance catalysts with bioinspired structures.展开更多
文摘The completely selective oxidation of toluene to benzaldehyde with dioxygen,without the need touse H_(2)O_(2),halogens,or any radical initiators,is a reaction long desired but never previously successful.Here,we demonstrate the enzyme‐like mechanism of the reaction over hexadecylphosphateacid(HDPA)‐bonded nano‐oxides,which appear to interact with toluene through specific recognition.The active sites of the catalyst are related to the ability of HDPA to change its bonding to theoxides between monodentate and bidentate during the reaction cycle.This greatly enhances themobility of the crystal oxygen or the reactivity of the catalyst,specifically in toluene transformations.The catalytic cycle of the catalyst is similar to that of methane monooxygenase.In thepresence of catalyst and through O_(2)oxidation,the conversion of toluene to benzaldehyde is initiatedat 70°C.We envision that this novel mechanism reveals alternatives for an attractive route to designhigh‐performance catalysts with bioinspired structures.
