Selective cyclohexene oxidation with O2, H2O2 and tert-butyl hydroperoxide over spray-flame synthesized LaCo1−xFexO3 nanoparticles†
Abstract
The elimination of waste and by-product generation and reduced dependence on hazardous chemicals are the key steps towards environmentally sustainable chemical transformations. Heterogeneously catalysed oxidation of cyclohexene with environmentally friendly oxidizing agents such as O2, H2O2 and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) has great potential to replace existing processes using stoichiometric oxidants. A series of spray-flame synthesised nanoparticulate LaCo1−xFexO3 catalysts was employed for cyclohexene oxidation, and the comparative results showed that TBHP led to the highest initial activity and allylic selectivity, but O2 resulted in higher conversion for longer reaction times. Furthermore, the influence of Fe substitution was studied, which did not show any beneficial synergistic effects. LaCoO3 was found to be the optimum catalyst for cyclohexene oxidation with O2, following first-order reaction kinetics with an apparent activation energy of 57 kJ mol−1. The catalyst showed good reusability due to its highly stable particle size, morphology and perovskite structure. 7-Oxabicyclo[4.1.0]heptan-2-one was identified to be formed by the oxidation of 2-cyclohexene-1-one with 2-cyclohexene-1-hydroperoxide.