Synthesis of Nitrogen-doped Carbon Supported Cerium Single Atom Catalyst by Ball Milling for Selective Oxidation of Ethylbenzene

Through screening Ce precursors and pyrolysis temperatures [Ce(acac)3 as Ce precursors and pyrolysis at 900 °C], zeolitic imidazolate framework-8(ZIF-8) derived nitrogen-doped carbon supported cerium single atom catalyst(Ce1/NC) is successfully prepared by ball milling method. The Ce1/NC catalyst exhibits exceptional catalytic performance in the selective oxidation of saturated C-H bonds in aromatic compounds, e.g., 91% conversion and 99% selelctivity can be achieved in the oxidation of ethylbenzene to acetophenone under mild reaction conditions.