| 초록 |
Selective oxidation of toluene to benzaldehyde is one of the most important process in a variety of industries. Herein, we demonstrate that a selective electrochemical oxidation of toluene to benzaldehyde with direct electron transfer at carbon electrode without help of organic additives under aerobic condition. Importantly, the selectivity was different in three kinds of carbon electrodes. Among them, graphite rod showed the highest selectivity toward benzaldehyde (92%). The high selectivity toward benzaldehyde in graphite rod is attributed to its high electrochemically active surface area, enabling large density of contact points for direct electron charge transfer between toluene and electrode and abundant defect sites, promoting the adsorption of benzaldehyde. The direct electrochemical oxidation method was applied to oxidation of other para-substituted toluenes. This finding can be a desirable platform for producing a broad range of benzaldehyde derivatives in a sustainable way. |
