ABSTRACT
Hydroxylation reaction of phenol into diphenol, such as hydroquinone and catechol, has a great role in many
industrial applications. Phenol hydroxylation reaction can be carried out using Titanium Silicalite-1 (TS-1) as catalyst and H202as an oxidant. TS-1 catalyst shows high activity and selectivity for phenol hydroxylation reaction. However, its hydrophobic sites lead to slow H202adsorption toward the active site of TS-1. Consequently, the reaction rate of phenol hydroxylation reaction is tends to be low. Addition of metal oxide Ff!203 enhanced hydrophilicity of TS-1 catalyst. Liquid phase catalytic phenol hydroxylation using hydrogen peroxide as oxidant was carried out over iron
(11/)oxide-modified TS-1 catalyst (Fe20:/TS-1), that were prepared by impregnation method using iron (11/)nitrate as precursor and characterized by X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, nitrogen-adsorption,pyridine adsorption, and hydrophilicity techniques: Catalysts 1Fe20:/TS-1showed maximum catalytic activity of hydroquinone product. In this
research, the increase of hydroquinone formation rate is due to the higher hydrophilicity of Fe20:/TS-1 catalysts
compare to the parent catalyst, TS-1.
Keywords: Fe20:/TS-1, hydrophilic site, phenol hydroxylatio
