Simple and low–cost transition metal-free borophosphate glass catalyst for aromatic alcohol oxidation by sodium hypochlorite

The oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols to their respective aldehydes/ketones is one of the most important reactions in fine chemistry due to the industrial application of these products. Based on this, a large number of new catalysts and oxidants have been tested using this reaction as a catalytic model, mainly looking for a process that ensures high aldehyde selectivity. In this paper, we have used moisture stable borophosphate glass doped with 10 mol% Al2O3 as a heterogeneous catalyst in the oxidation of sodium hypochlorite, an effective, greener, and low-cost oxidant, using acetonitrile as solvent under mild conditions. The glass catalyst mass and the particle size were evaluated, as were the reaction temperature and oxidant amount, to determine the ideal reaction conditions where the conversions achieved 87.0 mol% for 1-phenylethanol to acetophenone and 79.4 mol% for benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde, with benzaldehyde selectivity above 95%. Although sodium hypochlorite is a strong oxidant, benzaldehyde was the main product of the oxidation of benzyl alcohol due to the formation of a biphasic organic-aqueous system that protects the aldehyde from oxidation and allows the reaction to occur without the use of a phase transfer catalyst (PTC). HPLC analysis of both phases showed that alcohols, aldehyde, and ketone were mostly present in the organic phase (concentrations above 98.7%). During the reaction, a small amount of alcohol is transferred to the aqueous phase, where the oxidation took place. Once formed, the products are transferred back to the organic phase. ICP-OES analysis indicates that borophosphate glass acts in the reaction by partially releasing phosphate-based groups, reducing the pH of hypochlorite to 9. In this sense, borophosphate glasses prove to be a simple and inexpensive alternative for the development of new catalysts.