Fe-containing nickel phosphate molecular sieves as heterogeneous catalysts for phenol oxidation and hydroxylation with H2O2

Fe-containing nickel phosphate molecular sieves (Fe-VSB-5) were hydrothermally synthesized in weak basic conditions under microwave irradiation and characterized by SEM, XRD, N2-adsorption/desorption, DRS-UV–vis, and FT-IR spectroscopy using PhCN and CDCl3 as probe molecules. The catalytic activity of Fe-VSB-5 was tested for the phenol hydroxylation and wet phenol oxidation with H2O2. The increase in iron content in Fe-VSB-5 leds to an increase in the reaction rates. The increases in activity can be explained by the role of the Fe species, which increases the generation of radicals. The Fe-VSB-5 samples were stable against the leaching out of Fe ions. The catalytic activity of Fe-VSB-5 was compared to the catalytic activity of traditional Fe-containing materials.

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► Fe-containing nickel phosphate molecular sieves (Fe-VSB-5) were synthesized at pH 7.3 under microwave irradiation.
► Textural and acid–base properties of Fe-VSB-5 were examined.
► Fe-VSB-5 materials show interesting catalytic behaviour in hydroxylation of phenol and wet phenol oxidation with H2O2 at pH of reaction medium 8.2.