Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol.56, No.51, 15030-15037, 2017
Copolymeric Schiff Base Cu: A Platform for Active and Recyclable Catalyst in Aerobic Oxidations
The synthesis of heterogeneous metal ligand catalysts with high activity and good recyclability is always an important topic but still challenging to make. Herein, we reported a solid Schiff base Cu catalyst synthesized by incorporating Cu sites into the copolymeric Schiff base ligand, which is achieved from a porous polydivinylbenzene functionalized with Schiff base groups. A heterogeneous Schiff base Cu catalyst denoted as hetero-SchCu was obtained. Systemic characterizations involving XPS, FTIR, N-2 sorption, and electronic microscopy demonstrate the structural features of hetero-SchCu including functionalized Schiff base ligand, stabilized and highly dispersed Cu species, and rich porosity. The hetero-SchCu exhibits high catalytic activity and selectivity in the oxidation of a series of alcohols and cyclohexane. Importantly, the hetero-SchCu is stable and recyclable in the tests involving several runs without a decrease in activity. This work not only demonstrates a platform for developing polymeric heterogeneous catalysts, but also provides efficient catalysts for the oxidation of alcohols and cyclohexane.