Hexadecylphosphate-Functionalized Iron Oxide Nanoparticles: Mild Oxidation of Benzyl C–H Bonds Exclusive to Carbonyls by Molecular Oxygen

Abstract

We report here a specially designed catalytic system consisting of hexadecyl­phosphate-functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles in oil/water biphasic emulsion. The iron oxide nanoparticles act as catalytic centers and the surface-bonded hexadecyl­phosphates as peripheral units which tune the activity of iron oxide and the access of reactants to the catalytic centers. The catalytic system is highly effective to oxidize the benzyl C–H bonds in a series of compounds to carbonyls exclusively by molecular oxygen under mild conditions. The catalytic process, green and low cost, offers a novel concept to design highly effective catalysts with nanoparticles as active centers and surface-bonded organic phosphates as accelerants for oxidation reactions