Oxovanadium(IV) complex of β-alanine derived ligand immobilised on polystyrene for the oxidation of various organic substrates

Tridentate Schiff base (H2fsal-β-ala) obtained from 3-formylsalicylic acid and β-alanine has been covalently bonded to divinylbenzene cross-linked chloromethylated polystyrene. This chelating resin, abbreviated as PS-H2fsal-β-ala (PS = polymeric support), reacts with vanadyl sulfate in DMF to give polymer bound complex, PS-[VO(fsal-β-ala) · DMF], formation of which has been confirmed by various physiochemical methods such as elemental analysis, FT-IR and diffused reflectance spectra, thermo gravimetric analysis, and scanning electron micrograph. Catalytic potential of PS-[VO(fsal-β-ala) · DMF] has been tested for the oxidation of various organic substrates such as benzene, cumene, naphthalene, cyclohexane, styrene, cyclohexene and trans-stilbene in the presence of 30% H2O2 as an oxidant. Oxidation products obtained from each substrate have been characterised by gas chromatography and their identities confirmed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry.