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Simple solvent-free preparation of dispersed composites and their application as catalysts in oxidation and hydrocarboxylation of cyclohexane

Publication . Alegria, Elisabete; Fontolan, Emmanuele; Da Costa Ribeiro, Ana Paula; Kopylovich, Maximilian; Domingos, Catarina; Ferraria, Ana Maria; Bertani, Roberta; Botelho do Rego, Ana M.; Pombeiro, Armando

A simple and clean mechanochemical synthesis at room temperature was employed to prepare CuO-Fe2O3-CoCl2 (100 nm scale), MoO3-V2O5, CuO-CoCl2, Fe2O3-CoCl2, CuO-V2O5, Cu(CH3COO)(2)-V2O5, Cu(CH3COO)(2)-MoO3 (1-100 mm scale) 3d metal based dispersed composites with different ratios of components using simple metal salts/oxides and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNT) or graphene oxide (GO) additives (CoCl2-CNT, CoCl2-GO). The thus prepared composite materials were characterized by Xray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), field emission gun scanning electron microscopy (FEGSEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). XPS analysis revealed no metal redox change upon ball milling treatment, which however promotes metal hydroxylation. The catalytic activity of the prepared composites in the heterogeneous low power microwave-assisted oxidation of cyclohexane with aq. H2O2 at 30 degrees C was notorious with yields up to 31% and selectivity up to 94% towards cyclohexanol (upon treatment with PPh3) for the CuO-CoCl2-based material. The hydro-carboxylation of cyclohexane with CO, water and K2S2O8 to produce cyclohexanecarboxylic acid bearing one more carbon atom at 60 degrees C is achieved with yields up to 17% for the reaction performed in the presence of the CuO-CoCl2 catalyst. The clean CuO-CoCl2 (1:2) catalyst preparation and the catalytic reaction (oxidation of cyclohexane) can be achieved in one-pot at low temperature, without any added organic solvent, and by using exclusively the mechanochemical energy input, with a marked 23% yield at 30 degrees C.

2017-09Journal article

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New trendy magnetic C-scorpionate iron catalyst and its performance towards cyclohexane oxidation

Publication . Da Costa Ribeiro, Ana Paula; Matias, Inês; Alegria, Elisabete; Ferraria, Ana Maria; Rego, Ana; Pombeiro, Armando; Martins, Luisa

For the first time, a magnetic C-scorpionate catalyst was prepared from the iron(II) complex [FeCl2{_3-HC(pz)3}] (pz = pyrazol-1-yl) and ferrite, using the sustainable mechanochemical synthetic procedure. Its catalytic activity for the cyclohexane oxidation with tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) was evaluated in different conditions, namely under microwave irradiation and under the effect of an external magnetic field. The use of such magnetic conditions significantly shifted the catalyst alcohol/ketone selectivity, thus revealing a promising, easy new protocol for tuning selectivity in important catalytic processes.

2018-02Journal article

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Comparison of microwave and mechanochemical energy inputs in the catalytic oxidation of cyclohexane

Publication . Da Costa Ribeiro, Ana Paula; Alegria, Elisabete; Kopylovich, Maximilian; Ferraria, Ana Maria; Rego, Ana; Pombeiro, Armando

The effect of microwave and mechanochemical ball milling energy inputs was studied for the peroxidative oxidation (with aqueous H2O2) of cyclohexane to cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone, over CoCl2 and/or V2O5 dispersed (μm scale) catalysts. A maximum total yield of cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone of 43% after 1 h of reaction at 30 °C, in acetonitrile and under microwave irradiation (5 W), was achieved over the CoCl2–V2O5 (3 : 1) catalyst prepared by ball milling. Cyclohexanol is the main final product with a selectivity of up to 93% over cyclohexanone. Conducting the oxidation reaction under microwave irradiation under the same conditions but without any mechanochemical treatment of the catalyst prior to use resulted in a lower total yield of 30% with a lower selectivity (69%) towards cyclohexanol over cyclohexanone. The sole application of mechanochemical treatment for the catalyst preparation and the catalytic oxidation of cyclohexane allowed to reach yields of 29% after 1 h of reaction, at room temperature, without microwave irradiation and any additive and in the absence of any organic solvent. Ball milling is shown to provide a convenient, solvent-free method to disperse these solid catalysts and to promote the above cyclohexane oxidation, although, in the latter case, not so effectively as microwave irradiation.

2018-07-07Journal article

Open access

Effect of phenolic compounds on the synthesis of gold nanoparticles and its catalytic activity in the reduction of nitro compounds

Publication . Alegria, Elisabete; Da Costa Ribeiro, Ana Paula; Mendes, Marta; Ferraria, Ana Maria; Rego, Ana; Pombeiro, Armando

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were prepared using an eco-friendly approach in a single step by reduction of HAuCl4 with polyphenols from tea extracts, which act as both reducing and capping agents. The obtained AuNPs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–vis), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). They act as highly efficient catalysts in the reduction of various aromatic nitro compounds in aqueous solution. The effects of a variety of factors (e.g., reaction time, type and amount of reducing agent, shape, size, or amount of AuNPs) were studied towards the optimization of the processes. The total polyphenol content (TPC) was determined before and after the catalytic reaction and the results are discussed in terms of the tea extract percentage, the size of the AuNPs, and their catalytic activity. The reusability of the AuNP catalyst in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol was also tested. The reactions follow pseudo first-order kinetics.

2018-05Journal article

Open access

Synergistic catalytic action of vanadia-titania composites towards the microwave-assisted benzoin oxidation

Publication . Ferretti, Francesco; Da Costa Ribeiro, Ana Paula; Alegria, Elisabete; Ferraria, Ana Maria; Kopylovich, Maximilian; Guedes Da Silva, M. Fátima C.; Marchetti, Fabio; Pombeiro, Armando

Intensification of chemical processes according to the motto "faster, simpler, greener" is among the main concerns nowadays. One of the ways of intensification is the application of synergistic catalytic effects when the overall efficiency of a composite catalyst is much higher than the sum of the component activities. Here, we report on the preparation of synergistic catalytic materials by a simple and straightforward ball milling procedure. Oxidation of benzoin was selected as a model reaction to demonstrate the viability of the concept. For the V2O5-TiO2 (95 : 5) composite material, the synergistic effect is triggered by low power microwave irradiation with more than a tenfold jump in the catalytic activity in comparison to the activities of the individual components.

2019-03-14Journal article

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