β-mCoPc/Cu-BDC composites for oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde

Abstract

A composite β-mCoPc/Cu-BDC is developed by decorating Cu-BDC with β-m-phthalocyanine cobalt (β-mCoPc) and systematically investigated by a series of combined analyses of X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), N₂ physisorption measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmittance scanning electron microscopy (TEM) and thermogravimetry analysis (TGA). Due to the desirable properties of Cu-BDC and β-mCoPc, such as the conjugated MOFs skeleton, the acidity of the central ion and large specific surface area and porosity of the materials, etc., β-mCoPc/Cu-BDC is successfully applied as the catalyst for the oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde. Significantly, an enhanced catalytic performance especially with a best conversion rate of 61% at an optimal molar ratio of 0.24:1 of β-mCoPc:Cu-BDC can be confirmed for β-mCoPc/Cu-BDC composites catalyst in comparison with catalysis by only β-mCoPc and Cu-BDC. Our work provides an effective strategy via preparing a MOF based composite catalyst to realize the selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Metal-organic frameworks
• β-mCoPc/Cu-BDC
• phthalocyanine
• catalysis

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province of China (Grant No. LH2019B020), Research Foundation of Education Bureau of Heilongjiang Province of China (Grant No. 135309337), Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province (No. QC2016016), University Nursing Program for Young Scholars with Creative Talents in Heilongjiang Province (No. UNPYSCT-2017159), and The Fundamental Research Funds in Heilongjiang Provincial Universities (No. 135209304).