Tailoring of CoMn 2 O 4 Spinel Catalysts With Cerium for Efficient Thermal and Photocatalytic Selective Oxidation of Aromatic and Aliphatic Alcohols

Abstract Cerium‐promoted cobalt‐manganese spinel oxide catalysts (CoMn 2‐X Ce X O 4 ) were synthesized and systematically investigated for their efficiency in the selective oxidation of alcohols via thermal and photochemical pathways. The incorporation of cerium into the CoMn 2 O 4 spinel matrix notably altered its structural, morphological, and catalytic characteristics, as confirmed through comprehensive characterization techniques, including XRD, Raman spectroscopy, FTIR, XPS, HR‐TEM, BET surface area analysis, and ICP‐AES. Cerium doping, particularly at an optimal composition of CoMn 1.99 Ce 0.01 O 4 , enhanced catalytic performance by lowering the activation energy, thereby enabling efficient alcohol oxidation at reduced temperatures. The presence of Mn 4+ , Mn 3+ , and Ce 3+ active sites was identified as key to the observed activity. Beyond benzyl alcohol, the catalyst demonstrated excellent selectivity and conversion for substrates such as 2‐nitrobenzyl alcohol and cinnamyl alcohol, underscoring its versatility for industrially relevant oxidation processes. A detailed structure–activity relationship was established, highlighting the impact of cerium on catalyst structure and kinetics. Furthermore, the study offers a comparative analysis of the mechanistic and performance aspects of thermal and photocatalytic oxidation.