Eclectic Hydroxylation of Benzene to Phenol Using Ferrites of Fe and Zn as Durable and Magnetically Retrievable Catalysts

Ferrites of iron and zinc were prepared and examined as catalysts for the eclectic hydroxylation of benzene in the presence of hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant under mild conditions. The obtained results revealed that iron ferrite is more efficient than zinc ferrite or other catalysts used in benzene hydroxylation. The efficacy of iron ferrite is attributed to the random occupation of the octahedral sites by divalent and trivalent iron cations, which eventually boosts the redox reaction within the octahedral site without altering the spinel structure. The catalyst durability testing revealed that the catalysts sustain the employed experimental conditions for five successive runs. The mechanism of benzene hydroxylation in the presence of iron ferrite and zinc ferrite was also suggested.