Oxidation of Hydrocarbons by Oxygen and Hydrogen Over Pd-Containing Titanium Silicalites

Abstract

The direct introduction of hydroxyl groups into an aromatic ring and unreactive alkanes has been attracting much interest. Titanium silicalite is a recently developed new type molecular sieve which incorporates Ti in the framework. It has been found to be effective in the hydroxylation of aromatic compounds such as benzene and phenol and also of alkanes¹ by H₂O₂ as an oxidant under mild conditions. Since using molecular oxygen in place of H₂O₂ should have significant advantages, we have sought to establish procedures through which molecular oxygen could be used. We have now designed a system containing Pd metal particles in the titanium silicalite which, in an oxygen/hydrogen atmosphere, should generate H₂O₂ at the palladium site and then use that H₂O₂ to oxidize various organic substrate present in the pore system.