Supported undecatungstophosphate: An efficient recyclable bi-functional catalyst for esterification of alcohols as well as selective oxidation of styrene

A versatile bi-functional solid catalytic system comprising undecatungstophosphate and neutral alumina has been introduced for acid catalysis as well as oxidation reactions. The catalytic activity of calcined catalysts was also evaluated for esterification as well as oxidation reactions under optimized conditions. The supported undecatungstophosphate can be regenerated after a simple workup and can be reused up to 3 cycles. The Koros Nowak Test was also performed and it was found that the catalytic performances were not mass and heat transfer limited. The present solid catalytic system is a promising clean alternative not only for esterification of alcohols but also for oxidation of styrene under mild reaction conditions.

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► Development of neutral alumina supported undecatungstophosphate as a bi-functional catalyst.
► Used for esterification of 1° and 2° alcohols as well as for solvent free liquid phase oxidation of styrene.
► Designed heterogeneous catalyst is a clean and a promising alternative for environmentally hazardous stiochiometric catalysts.
► The present solid catalyst is effective in waste minimization, especially for oxidation reactions.