Influence of periodic nitrogen functionality on the selective oxidation of alcohols

• Published in: Chemistry, an Asian journal Vol. 7; no. 2; p. 387
• Main Authors: Chan-Thaw, Carine E, Villa, Alberto, Veith, Gabriel M, Kailasam, Kamalakannan, Adamczyk, Leslie A, Unocic, Raymond R, Prati, Laura, Thomas, Arne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 06.02.2012
• ISSN: 1861-471X
• DOI: 10.1002/asia.201100565

An enhancement in catalytic alcohol oxidation activity is attributed to the presence of nitrogen heteroatoms on the external surface of a support material. The same Pd particles (3.1-3.2 nm) were supported on polymeric carbon-nitrogen supports and used as catalysts to selectively oxidize benzyl alcohol. The polymeric carbon-nitrogen materials include covalent triazine frameworks (CTF) and carbon nitride (C(3)N(4)) materials with nitrogen content varying from 9 to 58 atomic percent. With comparable metal exposure, estimated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the activity of these catalysts correlates with the concentration of nitrogen species on the surface. Because the catalysts showed comparable acidic/basic properties, this enhancement cannot be ascribed to the Lewis basicity but most probably to the nature of N-containing groups that govern the adsorption sites of the Pd nanoparticles.