Study of Selectivity of Metal Phosphates and Phosphonates in Baeyer-Villiger Oxidations

Layered materials including metal phosphates and phosphonates have been widely investigated in several fields acting as good selective catalysts in a great number of oxidative reactions. Zirconium phosphate amorphous [Zr(HPO(4))(2)center dot H(2)O; ZrPA], sodium exchanged zirconium phosphate amorphous [Zr(NaPO(4))(2); NaZrPA], potassium exchanged zirconium phosphate amorphous [Zr(KPO(4))(2); KZrPA], zirconium phenylphosphonate amorphous [Zr(O(3)PC(6)H(5))(2); ZrPPA], zirconium carboxyethylphosphonate [Zr(O(3)PCH(2)CH(2)COOH)(2); ZrCEP] and aluminium carboxyethylphosphonate [Al(3)(OH)(3)(O(3)PCH(2)CH(2)CO(2))(2)center dot 3H(2)O; AlCEP] were prepared, characterized and evaluated as selective catalysts in the Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of cyclopentanone, p-methoxybenzaldehyde and 2,4,6-trimethylbenzaldehyde by hydrogen peroxide, in acetic acid. The selectivity of delta-valerolactone, p-methoxyphenol and 2,4,6-trimethylphenol have been found to be strongly related with the properties and structure of each catalyst