Gas-phase oxygen oxidations of alkylaromatics over CVD Fe/Mo/borosilicate molecular sieve VI. Effects of para-substituents in toluene derivatives Original Research Article

In order to understand the para-selective oxidation property of CVD (chemical vapor deposition) Fe/Mo/DBH in the gas-phase O2 oxidation of alkylaromatics, the effects of various para-substituents in p-CH3C6H4-X (X stands for OH, OCH3, CHO, C2H5, vinyl and Cl), were studied. The para-substituents such as OH, OCH3 and Cl favorably influenced the oxidation of the methyl group to the corresponding aldehydes, CHOC6H4-X. The CHO and C2H5 groups themselves were preferentially oxidized to form CH3C6H4COOH and CH3C6H4CHCH2, respectively, over the methyl group. In the same manner, the vinyl group was rapidly oxidized to oxygenates while the methyl group remained intact.