Preparation of CuFe2O4 composite metal oxides and selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol

AbstractUsing iron nitrate and copper nitrate as raw materials, mesoporous material SBA-15 as template agent and n-hexane as solvent, CuFe2O4 samples of mesoporous loaded composite metal oxide catalysts were successfully prepared by calcination at 600 °C. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric-differential scanning analysis (TG-DSC), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol by CuFe2O4 under different catalytic conditions was investigated using benzyl alcohol as a model compound, and the oxidation products were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that the CuFe2O4 catalyst prepared by calcination at 600°Cwas the best. The best selective oxidation conditions were achieved at a reaction system temperature of 90 °C, a catalyst dosage of 4 g/L, a molar ratio 1:1 of H2O2 dosage to benzyl alcohol, and a reaction time of 4 h. The conversion of benzyl alcohol under this condition was 66.95%, and the selective conversion of benzaldehyde was 96.07%. This indicates that CuFe2O4 is a composite metal oxide with high selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol and has wide application prospects.Keywords: Mesoporous materialsCuFe2O4composite metal oxidesselective oxidation Additional informationFundingThe authors acknowledge the financial supports from National Training Programs of Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Undergraduates (No. 202210347034) and the Huzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Functional Materials and Pollution Control.