Enhanced Selective Oxidation of Benzyl Alcohol via In Situ H2O2 Production over Supported Pd-Based Catalysts

Bimetallic Pd-Fe catalysts supported on TiO2 are shown to be highly effective toward the selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde via the in situ production of H2O2 from molecular H2 and O2, under conditions where no reaction is observed with molecular O2 alone. The rate of benzyl alcohol oxidation observed over supported Pd-Fe nanoparticles is significantly higher than those of either Pd-Au or Pd-only analogues. This enhanced activity can be attributed to the bifunctionality of the Pd-Fe catalyst to both synthesize H2O2 and catalyze the production of oxygen-based radical specie,s as indicated by an electron paramagnetic resonance analysis. Further studies also reveal the noninnocent nature of the solvent, resulting in the propagation of radical generation pathways.