Direct hydroxylation of benzene to phenol over a new vanadium-substituted phosphomolybdate as a solid catalyst

With aqueous hydroxylation as oxidant, benzene was directly hydroxylated to phenol with phenol yield of 12.4% and selectivity of 85.7% over tetramethyl ammonium 11-molybdo-1-vanadophosphates [(CH3)4N]4PMo11VO40 as a solid catalyst, which was testified to be stable and could be recovered and reused with high activity.