Synthesis and Characterization of TiO2 Based Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Photocatalysts for Enhancing the Selective Formation of 4-Methoxy-benzaldehyde from 4-Methoxybenzyl alcohol

The oxidation of alcohols to carbonyl compounds in a clean fashion (i.e., with water as a solvent or under solvent-free conditions, and using O2 or H2O2 as the primary oxidant) is the subject of considerable research efforts. A new approach for the selective oxidation of soluble aromatic alcohols in water under mild conditions via a novel composite photocatalyst has been developed. The catalyst is synthesized by grafting 4-(4-(4- hydroxyphenylimino)cyclohexa-2,5dienylideneamino)phenol and silver nanoparticles onto the surface of moderately crystalline titanium dioxide. The titanium dioxide-based composite was first extensively characterized and then employed in the catalytic oxidation of 4-…

Telloruro di Cadmio: Eldorado del fotovoltaico o insidia ambientale?

TiO2 based Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Photocatalysts for Highly Selective Alcohol Partial Oxidation

An integrated approach to develop a composite hybrid material made of titanium dioxide functionalized with an organic conjugated phenol (DIOL) and silver NPs suitable for the selective oxidation of water soluble aromatic alcohols to aldehydes in water under UV irradiation and very mild conditions was used. The 86% selectivity observed for the Rutile/DIOL/Ag composite is, to the best of our knowledge, the highest thus far reported for partial oxidation of aromatic alcohols to aldehydes in water suspensions of titanium dioxide. The method is general as it relies on the concomitant easier adsorption of the aromatic alcohol and more facile release of the aldehyde, coupled to fast interfacial el…

A reactor for photoelectrocatalytic oxidation of aromatic alcohols