Co-solvent intensification effect on aromatic alcohol oxidation

Abstract: Solvent intensification for aromatic alcohol oxidation was performed by experimentally extensive screening. A co-solvent mixture of [Omim]Cl and toluene was found to significantly intensify this class of reactions with high conversion of alcohols (>90%) and high selectivity to their aldehydes (>90%). The intensification effect can be jointly attributed to the interaction of [Omim]Cl with the catalyst WO3 surface, which enhances its catalytic reactivity, and to the aqueous–organic biphasic formation by toluene, which inhibits the over-oxidation of aromatic alcohols. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]