N-Doped carbon nanofibers derived from bacterial cellulose as an excellent metal-free catalyst for selective oxidation of arylalkanes

Abstract

N-Doped carbon nanofibers derived from one-step pyrolysis of low-cost bacterial cellulose with the assistance of urea were reported. Owing to their interconnected nanofibrous structure and high specific surface area as well as high N doping, they exhibited excellent catalytic performance for selective oxidation of arylalkanes even with O₂ as an oxidant in aqueous solution.