Poly(4-vinylpyridine-co-divinylbenzene) supported iron(III) catalyst for selective oxidation of toluene to benzoic acid with H2O2

Poly(4-vinylpyridine-co-divinylbenzene) supported iron(III) catalysts were developed for the selective oxidation of toluene to benzoic acid in the presence of H2O2. The influence of the DVB content on the capacity of immobilized Fe(III) and on the catalytic activities of the polymeric complexes was investigated. The extent of Fe(III) uptake by the copolymers varied slightly with the concentration of DVB. The catalytic activities generally increase with increasing degree of crosslinker from 2 to 10% and decrease further with increasing the DVB content. Under the optimal conditions (80 °C, 6 h), the catalyst containing 10% DVB was found to be highly efficient in conversion of toluene to benzoic acid with 90% conversion and 96% selectivity.