Transition metal oxide nanoparticles as efficient catalysts in oxidation reactions

Studies on nano-sized particles have been the range for the past 10–15 years. With rapid growth of metal oxide nanotechnologies during the last decades, the application of this material in the field of catalysis has become a substantial research area. In the past decades, the utilization of transition metal oxide nanoparticle catalysts for industrial application in the synthesis of important chemical intermediates has been investigated by industrial and academic communities. Compared to other catalysts, one of the outstanding properties of metal oxide nanoparticles in catalysis is represented by the high selectivity which allows discrimination within chemical groups and geometrical positions, favoring high yields of the desired product. This review is devoted to dealing with the application of transition metal oxide nanoparticles as catalyst for oxidations of sulfides, alcohols, olefins, and alkanes toward the synthesis of a variety of organic compounds, such as sulfoxides, aldehydes and ketones, carboxylic acids, epoxides and alcohols.