Selective Oxidation of Alkylarene in H2O Catalyzed by the Polyoxometalate Supported Chromium Catalyst

The selective oxidation of alkylarene is a quite straightforward and appealing way for production of aromatic aldehydes, ketones and aromatic acid derivatives. We synthesized Cr(III) catalyst, (NH4)(3)[CrMo6O18(OH)(6)], with reasonable activity towards selective oxidation of alkylarenes under mild conditions. The catalyst is supported by a central chromium mononucleus and a cyclic inorganic ligand composed of six (MoO6)-O-VI octahedra, avoiding the disadvantages of expensive and non-recyclable organic ligand. It is efficient, green and can be recycled at least six times with high activity. At the same time, a wide range of substituted alkylarenes were found to be compatible, providing the corresponding carbonyl compounds in moderate-to-high yield.