Gold nanoparticles supported on dendrimer@resin for the efficient oxidation of styrene using elemental oxygen

Abstract

Highly dispersed AuNPs of sizes 2–5 nm were deposited onto third generation PAMAM dendrimers attached to XAD-4. The nanocatalyst thus prepared was characterised by SEM, TEM, BET etc. The catalyst showed remarkable stability and activity towards the oxidation of styrene. Reaction parameters such as the nature of the oxidant, solvent, catalyst concentration, temperature and reaction time were investigated and the reaction conditions were optimized. Furthermore, the recyclability and stability of the AuNPs supported on dendrimers@resin was established. The results demonstrate that epoxidation can be carried out using molecular oxygen and the prepared heterogeneous gold nanocatalyst possesses potential applications for green and sustainable development of epoxides.