2014/08/29 by Marco Santonastaso, Simon J. Freakley, Peter J. Miedziak +3 · 27 citations
Chemical Engineering · Chemistry · Materials Science · #Alcohol #Alcohol oxidation #Autoclave #Benzaldehyde #Benzyl alcohol #Bimetallic strip #Catalysis #Catalysis and Oxidation Reactions #Catalytic Processes in Materials Science #Chemistry #Hydrogen peroxide #Inorganic chemistry #Organic chemistry #Oxidative Organic Chemistry Reactions #Photochemistry #Selectivity #Solvent
paper · doi:10.1021/op500195e
published in Organic Process Research & Development 18(11), 1455-1460 (American Chemical Society)
openalex publication_date 2014/08/29 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/23
Catalysts containing bimetallic gold–palladium nanoparticles are extremely active and selective for the oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes and the direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide from molecular hydrogen and oxygen. We show that the oxidation of benzyl alcohol can be carried out at 50 °C and below by generating hydrogen peroxide in situ. The oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde has been achieved with high selectivity (>85%) at temperatures where no reaction is observed with only molecular oxygen in an autoclave. The effect of temperature, catalyst support, and solvent are studied in an autoclave system and reactions were carried out in a fixed bed reactor at a range of gas flow rates where the catalysts demonstrated stable conversion and selectivity.