Different efficiency toward the biomimetic aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol in microchannel and bubble column reactors: Hydrodynamic characteristics and gas–liquid mass transfer

The selective aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde has attracted considerable attention because benzaldehyde is a high value-added product. The rate of this typical gas–liquid reaction is significantly affected by mass transfer. In this study, CoTPP-mediated(CoTPP: cobalt(II) mesotetraphenylporphyrin) selective benzyl alcohol oxidation with oxygen was conducted in a membrane microchannel(MMC) reactor and a bubble column(BC) reactor, respectively. We observed that 83% benzyl alcohol was converted within 6.5 min in the MMC reactor, but only less than 10% benzyl alcohol was converted in the BC reactor. Hydrodynamic characteristics and gas–liquid mass transfer performances were compared for the MMC and BC reactors. The MMC reactor was assumed to be a plug flow reactor,and the dimensionless variance was 0.29. Compared to the BC reactor, the gas–liquid mass transfer was intensified significantly in MMC reactor. It could be ascribed to the high gas holdup(2.9 times higher than that of BC reactor), liquid film mass transfer coefficient(8.2 times higher than that of BC reactor), and mass transfer coefficient per unit interfacial area(3.8 times higher than that of BC reactor). Moreover,the Hatta number for the MMC reactor reached up to 0.61, which was about 15 times higher than that of the BC reactor. The computational fluid dynamics calculations for mass fractions in both liquid and gas phases were consistent with the experimental data.

Efficient oxidation of benzyl alcohol with heteropolytungstate as reaction-controlled phase-transfer catalyst

A series of heteropolytungstates has been synthesized and utilized as catalysts to catalyze oxidation of benzyl alcohol with aqueous hydrogen peroxide. The results indicated that three of these catalysts showed the properties of reaction-controlled phasetransfer catalysis, and they had excellent catalytic ability to the oxidation of benzyl alcohol. No other by-products were detected by gas chromatography. Once the hydrogen peroxide was consumed completely, the catalyst precipitated from solvent, and the results of the catalyst recycle showed that the catalyst had high stability.

Aerobic Oxidation of Benzyl Alcohol Catalyzed by Cu-Mn Mixed Oxides and 2,2,6,6-Tetramethyl-piperidyl-1-oxyl

Heterogeneous Cu-Mn mixed oxides can mediate TEMPO-catalyzed selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol by molecular oxygen under neutral condition, and is recyclable. In the case of the molar ratio of Cu and Mn over 1, the highly-dispersed CuO inside the Cu-Mn mixed oxides is responsible for the good performances in catalytic oxidation.

The Role of Vanadia for the Selective Oxidation of Benzyl Alcohol over Heteropolymolybdate Supported on Alumina

A series of 12-molybdophosphoric acid (MPA) supported on V2O5 dispersed γ-Al2O3 catalysts with different vanadia loadings were prepared by impregnation and characterized by N2 adsorption-desorption, X-ray diffraction, temperature-programmed reduction, in situ laser Raman spectroscopy, UV-Vis diffused reflectance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and temperature-programmed desorption of NH3 techniques. Their catalytic activities were evaluated for the vapor phase aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol. The catalysts exhibited high catalytic activity and the conversion of benzyl alcohol depended on the vanadia content while the catalyst with 15 wt% V2O5 content showed optimum activity. The characterization results suggest the presence of well-dispersed V2O5 and partially disintegrated Keggin ions of MPA on the support. In situ Raman studies showed a reduced Mo(IV) species when the catalysts were calcined at high temperatures. The high oxidation activity of the catalysts is related to the synergistic effect between MPA and V2O5.

Photocatalytic oxidation of primary and secondary benzyl alcohol catalyzed by two coenzyme NAD^+ models

Photocatalytic oxidation of primary and secondary benzyl alcohol to corresponding benzaldehyde or acetophenone using Acr＋Cl04- or PhAcr＋Cl04- as photocatalysts under visible light irradiation at room temperature.

Solvent-free alkylation of dimethyl malonate using benzyl alcohols catalyzed by FeCl_3/SiO_2

Activated methylene compound such as dimethyl malonate reacted readily with benzylic alcohols in the presence of ferric chloride/silica gel mixture （FeCl3/SiO2） under microwave irradiation to produce benzylic derivative of dimethyl malonate in high yields in solvent-free condition. 2009 Mohammad Reza Shushizadeh. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.

Weak base favoring the synthesis of highly ordered V-MCM-41 with well-dispersed vanadium and the catalytic performances on selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol

The key to improve the performance of heteroatom catalysts is to ensure the orderliness of catalysts and the good dispersion of heteroatoms.The alkalinity plays the indispensable role in synthetic process of V-MCM-41 catalyst.The excessive alkalinity of synthetic system will make the MCM-41 difficult to crystallize,even to dissolve.It is easy to accumulate for heteroatomic species in the system of low alkalinity.Herein,the highly ordered VMCM-41 with high vanadic content in framework is synthesized in the condition of excessive NH3·H2 O in this paper.A series of characterization results prove the good dispersion of vanadium species,and most of vanadium gets into the framework of MCM-41 with the states of tetravalence and pentavalence.Furthermore,the modified MCM-41 by other transition metals is successful synthesized by the method of V-MCM-41 in this paper.The VMCM-41 shows well catalytic activity for the selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol,which up to 74.83%for the conversion of benzyl alcohol and 96.20%for selectivity of benzaldehyde when initial V/Si=0.10.The paper provides the possibility for industrial application of V-MCM-41 in the oxidation of benzyl alcohol for benzaldehyde.Besides,the work provides a significant idea for the synthesis of modified MCM-41 by well-dispersed transition metals.

Oxidation of benzyl alcohols to ketones and aldehydes by O3 process enhanced using high-gravity technology

In this study,a practical process for ozonization of benzyl alcohols to ketones and aldehydes in a rotating packed bed(RPB-O3)reactor has been developed.Using 1-phenylethanol as a model reactant,the performance of RPB-O3 process in different solvents has been compared with the commonly used stirred tank reactor(STR-O3).Ethyl acetate was the optimum solvent for the conversion of 1-phenylenthanol to acetophenone in RPB-O3 process,with 78%yield after 30 min.In a parallel STR-O3 experiment,the yield of acetophenone was50%.Other experimental variables,i.e.O3 concentration,reaction time,high-gravity factor and liquid flow rate were also optimized.The highest yield of acetophenone was obtained using O3 concentration of 80 mg·L-1,reaction time of 30 min,high gravity factor of 40 and liquid flow rate of 120 L·h-1.Under the optimized reaction conditions,a series of structurally diverse primary and secondary alcohols was oxidized with(19%–92%)yield.The ozonization mechanism was studied by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance(EPR)spectroscopy,monitoring the radical species formed upon self-decomposition of O3.The characteristic quadruple peak with the 1:2:2:1 intensity ratio that corresponds to hydroxyl radicals(·OH)was observed in the electron paramagnetic resonance(EPR)spectrum,indicating an indirect oxidation mechanism of alcohols via·OH radical.

Preparation of Anisotropic MnO2 Nanocatalysts for Selective Oxidation of Benzyl Alcohol and 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural

Anisotropic MnO2 nanostructures,includingα-phase nanowire,α-phase nanorod,δ-phase nanosheet,α+δ-phase nanowire,and amorphous fl occule,were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method through adjusting the pH of the precursor solution and using diff erent counterions.The catalytic properties of the as-synthesized MnO2 nanomaterials in the selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol(BA)and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural(HMF)were evaluated.The eff ects of micromorphology,phase structure,and redox state on the catalytic activity of MnO2 nanomaterials were investigated.The results showed that the intrinsic catalytic oxidation activity was mainly infl uenced by the unique anisotropic structure and surface chemical property of MnO2.With one-dimensional and 2D structures exposing highly active surfaces,unique crystal forms,and high oxidation state of Mn,the intrinsic activities for MnO2 catalysts synthesized in pH 1,5,and 10 solutions(denoted as MnO2-pH1,MnO2-pH5,and MnO2-pH10,respectively)were twice higher than those of other MnO2 catalysts in oxidation of BA and HMF.With a moderate aspect ratio,theα+δnanowire of MnO2-pH10 exhibited the highest average oxidation state,most abundant active sites,and the best catalytic oxidation activity.

Highly efficient and selective photocatalytic dehydrogenation of benzyl alcohol for simultaneous hydrogen and benzaldehyde production over Ni-decorated Zn_(0.5)Cd_(0.5)S solid solution

Photocatalytic conversion of solar energy into hydrogen and high value-added fine chemicals has attracted increasing attention. Herein, we demonstrate an efficient photocatalytic system for simultaneous hydrogen evolution and benzaldehyde production by dehydrogenation of benzyl alcohol over Nidecorated Zn_(0.5)Cd_(0.5)S solid solution under visible light. The photocatalytic system shows an excellent hydrogen production rate of 666.3 μmol h^(-1) with high stability. The optimal apparent quantum yield of52.5% is obtained at 420 nm. This noble-metal-free photocatalytic system displays much higher activity than pure Zn_(0.5)Cd_(0.5)S and Pt-loaded Zn_(0.5)Cd_(0.5)S solid solution. Further studies reveal that the metallic Ni nanocrystals play an important role in accelerating the separation of photogenerated charge carriers and the subsequent cleavage of α-C–H bond during dehydrogenation of benzyl alcohol.

Template-free synthesis of hollow TiO2 nanospheres supported Pt for selective photocatalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde

Heterogeneous photocatalytic system are widely applied to degrade organic pollutants or converse into high value-added chemicals. Both environmental and energy aspects should be considered to improve these chemical processes, favoring reaction conditions that involve room temperature and ambient O2 pressure. In the present work, hollow titanium dioxide nanospheres were fabricated via template-free method. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by photocatalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde with visible light under atmospheric pressure at room temperature. The designed hollow structure(2%Pt–TiO2–5) not only exhibited a very high surface area,but also promoted photonic behavior and multiple light scattering, which as an efficient photocatalyst performed moderate conversion(about 20%) and high selectivity(> 99%) for oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde at room temperature with visible light in solvent of toluene.This work suggests that both hollow structure and Pt nanoparticles have great potential for execution of oxidative transformations under visible light.

Performance investigation of Fe_3O_4 blended poly(vinylidene fluoride) membrane on filtration and benzyl alcohol oxidation:Evaluation of sufficiency for catalytic reactors

Fe_3O_4-PVDF membranes were prepared by blending of magnetic Fe_3O_4 powders with polyvinylidene fluoride to investigate whether those were usable or not in catalytic membrane reactors. Filtration performances and catalytic activity of membranes in microwave conditions were measured in separate processes. Composite Fe_3O_4-PVDF membranes were characterized by TG-DTA, FTIR, XRD, SEM and contact angle techniques.Disappearing of α-phases at PVDF was observed with increasing amount of additives from XRD diffraction patterns. Decomposition of polymer fastened due to catalytic effect of Fe_3O_4. Finger-like structures and large number of small pores were observed at the SEM images. Those provided effective transportation of substrate among the active sites of catalyst. At the experiments conducted in batch reactor, 51%, 77%, 66% and 63% benzyl alcohol conversion were recorded for 2%, 4%, 6% and 8% Fe_3O_4-PVDF composite pieces respectively. Catalyst were separated magnetically and reused several times. On the other hand Fe_3O_4 blended PVDF membranes provided improved flux and BSA rejection compared with performance of bare PVDF membrane; 41.6% BSA rejection was obtained with 4% Fe_3O_4-PVDF whereas it was only 6.7% for PVDF. Fe_3O_4-PVDF composites performed high activity for the benzyl alcohol oxidation in batch reactor and also better filtration at filtration cell. These results promise to obtain practical and low cost membrane material for catalytic reactors usable in microwave support to get fast results.

SO₄^2-/SnO₂-Catalyzed C3-alkylation of 4-hydroxycoumarin with secondary benzyl alcohols and <i>O</i>-alkylation with <i>O</i>-acetyl compounds

Sulfated tin oxide (STO) has been found to be an efficient reusable solid superacid catalyst for C3-alkylation and O-alkylation of 4-hydroxycoumarins with benzylic, allylic alcohols/and corresponding acetates respectively, in acetic acid under reflux conditions with good yield of products.

Enantioresolution of a Series of Chiral Benzyl Alcohols by HPLC on a Dinitrobenzoylphenylglycine Stationary Phase after Achiral Pre-Column Derivatization

High performance liquid chromatography method for the separation of a series of chiral benzyl alcohols on N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl)-D-phenylglycine stationary phase (Macherey Nagel, Chiral-2) after pre-column achiral derivatization was developed. Cheap and easy available aromatic acid chlorides were used as derivatization agents. Good to excellent separations of the enantiomers were achieved in all cases in relatively short analytical runs. It was shown that the enantiorecognition depends on the substituents both in the starting alcohol and in the acid chloride. The method presents an efficient alternative to the direct analyses on polysaccharide and cyclodextrine-derived stationary phases.

Liquid Etherification of Alkoxybenzyl Alcohols, Cinnamyl Alcohols and Fluorinated Phenylalkenols with Platinum on Carbon (Pt/C) and Palladium on Carbon (Pd/C)

In the presence of either Pd/C or Pt/C, 4-alkoxybenzyl alcohols, 4-alkoxy-phenylalkyl alcohols and cinnamyl alcohols undergo liquid etherification to bis(4-alkoxybenzyl) ethers, bis[(4-alkoxybenzyl)alkyl] ethers and bis(cin-namyl) ethers at temperatures of 100°C - 135°C. In a number of cases, Pt/C and Pd/C as catalysts, also when they are doped with Ru, show distinct differences when the reactions run in air, with an oxidative dehydrogenation of the alcohols as side-reaction, yielding the corresponding ketones and aldehydes as by-products. Also, the reactivity of fluorinated phenylalkenols under these conditions has been investigated. Furthermore, the immobilization of alkyl aryl ethers on silica within a column with passage of hexane as solvent was found to lead to the formation and elution of styrenes from the column in fair yield.

Solvent Effects on Preparation of Pd-Based Catalysts: Influence on Properties of Palladium and Its Catalytic Activity for Benzyl Alcohol Oxidation

Solvent effects are important for the solution preparation of nanoscale metal materials, in which the sizes and properties of the nanomaterials are greatly influenced by the solvents. In this study, a series of Pd/XC-72 catalysts were synthesized by a facile solvothermal method in solvents with different numbers of hydroxyl groups, including ethanol, ethylene glycol, and glycerine. The as-prepared catalysts Pd/XC-72(EA), Pd/XC-72(EG) and Pd/XC-72(GI) were characterized by XRD, TEM, TGA, ICP-MS and multipoint nitrogen adsorption-desorption experiments. It was found that Pd/XC-72(GI) had the highest metallic dispersion and the smallest particle size (4.9 nm). Furthermore, Pd/XC-72(GI) exhibited the best catalytic performance for solvent-free selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol while the catalytic activities of Pd/XC-72 catalysts decreased in the order: Pd/XC-72(GI) > Pd/XC-72(EG) > Pd/XC-72(EA).

Controllable surface reconstruction of copper foam for electrooxidation of benzyl alcohol integrated with pure hydrogen production

Electrocatalytic water splitting that is coupled with electrocatalytic chemical oxidation is considered as one of the promising methods for efficiently obtaining hydrogen energy and fine chemicals.Herein,we focus on an electrochemical redox activation strategy to rationally manipulate the microstructure and surface valence states of copper foam(CF)and boost the corresponding performance towards electrocatalytic benzyl alcohol oxidation(EBA),accompanied by the efficient hydrogen production.Correspondingly,the Cu(II)‐dominated species are gradually formed on the CF surface with the dissolution and redeposition of copper in the suitable potential range.The new species containing Cu2O,CuO,and Cu(OH)2 during surface reconstruction process of the CF were confirmed by multiple characterization techniques.After 220‐cycled activation(CF‐220),the activated CF achieves an increase of current density for EBA in anode from 9.5 for the original CF to 29.3 mmol/cm2,while the pure hydrogen yield increases threefold than that of the original CF at 1.5 VRHE.The produced new species can endow the CF‐220 with abundant acidity sites,which can enhance the adsorption toward Lewis‐basicity benzyl alcohol,confirmed by NH3‐temperature‐programmed desorption.In situ Raman result further reveals that the as‐produced CuO,Cu(OH)2,and Cu(OH)42−are the main active species toward the EBA process.

Enhanced water-induced effects enabled by alkali-stabilized Pd-OH_(x) species for oxidation of benzyl alcohol

The water promotion effects,where water can provide a solution-mediated reaction pathway in various heterogeneous chemical catalysis,have been presented and attracted wide attention recently,yet,the rational design of catalysts with a certain ability of enhancing water-induced reaction process is full of challenges and difficulties.Here,we show that by incorporating alkali(Na,K)cations as an electronic and/or structural promoter into Pd/rGO-ZnCr_(2)O_(4)(r GO,reduced graphene oxide),the obtained Pd(Na)/rGO-ZnCr_(2)O_(4)as a representative example demonstrates an outstanding benzyl alcohol oxidation activity in the Pickering emulsion system in comparison to the alkali-free counterpart.The response experiments of water injection confirm the enhanced activity,and the Na-modified catalyst can further enhance the promotion effects of water on the reaction.The effects of alkali cations for Pd nanoparticles are identified and deciphered by a series of experimental characterizations(XPS,in situ CO-DRIFTS,and CO-TPR coupled with MS),showing that there is abundant-OH on the surface of the catalyst,which is stabilized by the formation of Pd-OH_(x).The alkali-stabilized Pd-OH_(x)is helpful to enhance the waterinduced reaction process.According to the results of in situ Raman as well as UV-vis absorption spectra,the Na-modulated Pd(Na)/rGO-ZnCr_(2)O_(4)enables the beneficial characteristics for distorting the benzyl alcohol structure and enhancing the adsorption of benzyl alcohol.Further,the mechanism for enhanced water promotion effects is rationally proposed.The strategy of alkali cations-modified catalysts can provide a new direction to effectively enhance the chemical reaction involving small molecule water.

Size-effect on Ni electrocatalyst:The case of electrochemical benzyl alcohol oxidation

The nanoparticles(NPs)of Ni with different sizes endows its distinctive physical and chemical properties,which represents a typical strategy for the development of high-performance catalysts.However,the size effect of metallic Ni-NPs on electrocatalytic performance remains ambiguous.Herein,the Ni-NPs with different sizes supported on nitrogen doped carbon(NC)has been synthesized by controlling the pyrolysis temperature,leading to the synthesis of Ni@NC-500(8.3 nm),Ni@NC-280(1.9 nm)and Ni@NC-200(1.0 nm).The electrooxidation of benzyl alcohol(BA)over these nanocatalysts shows the yield of benzoic acid was 99%,82%,55%on Ni@NC-280,Ni@NC-200 and Ni@NC-500,respectively.The experimental and theoretical simulation demonstrate that the difference in the adsorption strength of reactant molecules by Ni-NPs is responsible for their different performance,where the Ni@NC-280 exhibits an optimal adsorption configuration between Ni@NC-280 electrode and BA.This work provides a new angle for designing and synthesizing efficient electrocatalysts,which may be extended to the exploration of various promising electrocatalytic systems.