Multi-wall carbon nanotube supported tungsten hexacarbonyl: an efficient and reusable catalyst for epoxidation of alkenes with hydrogen peroxide

Abstract

Highly efficient epoxidation of alkenes with H₂O₂ catalyzed by tungsten hexacarbonyl supported on multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) modified with 1,2-diaminobenzene is reported. The prepared catalyst, [W(CO)₆@DAB-MWCNT], was characterized by elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy, FT-IR, and diffuse reflectance UV-Vis spectroscopic methods. The prepared catalyst was applied as an efficient catalyst for green epoxidation of alkenes with hydrogen peroxide in CH₃CN. This heterogeneous metal carbonyl catalyst showed high stability and reusability in epoxidation without loss of its catalytic activity.

Keywords:

• Multi-wall carbon nanotubes
• Tungsten hexacarbonyl
• Heterogeneous catalyst
• Epoxidation
• Hydrogen peroxide

Acknowledgments

The support of this work by the Center of Excellence of Chemistry of University of Isfahan (CECIU) is gratefully acknowledged.