Catalytic Oxidation Processes for Styrene Derivatives
Summary
Catalytic oxidation of styrene derivatives encompasses routes to valuable intermediates such as benzaldehyde, styrene oxide and other oxygenated products. Two principal pathways prevail: partial oxidation of the vinyl group to carbonyl compounds and epoxidation of the carbon–carbon double bond. Heterogeneous catalysts based on transition metal oxides, supported noble or non-noble metals and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have been developed to activate benign oxidants—hydrogen peroxide, tert-butyl hydroperoxide and molecular oxygen—under mild conditions. Reaction mechanisms often proceed via reactive metal–oxygen species or radical intermediates, with selectivity governed by the nature of the metal active sites, support interactions and reaction medium. Advances have centred on enhancing activity and selectivity through tailored metal–support interfaces, atomically dispersed sites and porous architectures, whilst improving catalyst stability, recyclability and process sustainability. These developments hold global significance for green production of fine chemicals and polymer precursors.
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Catalytic Oxidation Processes for Styrene Derivatives publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in catalytic oxidation processes for styrene derivatives across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Heterogeneous catalyst: A solid catalyst operating in a different phase to the reactants, facilitating separation and reuse.
Metal–organic framework (MOF): A crystalline porous network of metal ions linked by organic ligands, offering high surface area and tunable active sites.
Selectivity: The proportion of converted substrate that yields the desired product rather than by-products.
Conversion: The percentage of the initial substrate that has been transformed into reaction products.
tert-Butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP): An organic peroxide oxidant commonly used for selective oxidation and epoxidation reactions.
Epoxidation: Chemical transformation that installs an oxygen atom across a carbon–carbon double bond, forming an oxirane (epoxide) ring.
Radical species: Highly reactive intermediates possessing unpaired electrons, often central to oxidation mechanisms.
References
- Metal-Organic Frameworks Decorated Cu2O Heterogeneous Catalysts for Selective Oxidation of Styrene. Catalysts (2022).
- Synthesis of nanoscale CuO via precursor method and its application in the catalytic epoxidation of styrene. RSC Advances (2022).
- Selective Styrene Oxidation to Benzaldehyde over Recently Developed Heterogeneous Catalysts. Molecules (2021).
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