Non-radical peroxymonosulfate activation by Co-doped InBO₃: a green route for selective benzyl alcohol oxidation

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Catalysis
• Green Chemistry

Background:

• Selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol (BzOH) to benzaldehyde (BzH) is crucial for industrial applications.
• Existing methods often face challenges with efficiency, selectivity, and environmental impact.
• Peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation is a promising advanced oxidation process.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an efficient catalyst for selective benzyl alcohol oxidation using PMS activation.
• To investigate the role of cobalt doping and oxygen vacancies in Indium Borate (InBO3) for catalytic performance.
• To elucidate the catalytic mechanism and identify reactive species involved in the oxidation process.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of Co-doped InBO3 with oxygen vacancies.
• Evaluation of catalytic performance for BzOH to BzH oxidation using InBO3/PMS system.
• Mechanism exploration through reactive species identification and electrochemical analysis.

Main Results:

• In0.75Co0.25BO3 demonstrated superior catalytic activity, achieving 46.97% BzOH conversion and 85.95% BzH selectivity.
• Co doping and oxygen vacancies facilitated interfacial electron transfer and a non-radical oxidation pathway.
• Key reactive species identified include singlet oxygen (1O2), superoxide radical anion (O2•−), and high-valent cobalt-oxo species (Co(IV)=O).

Conclusions:

• Co-doped InBO3 with oxygen vacancies is an effective catalyst for PMS activation in selective benzyl alcohol oxidation.
• The catalyst exhibits excellent reusability over five cycles, highlighting its stability.
• This work presents a novel approach for designing efficient catalysts for green organic synthesis via PMS activation.