Iron-containing MCM-41 catalysts for Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of ketones using molecular oxygen and benzaldehyde

Fe-MCM-41-DHT exhibited a high catalytic activity for Baeyer-Villiger (B-V) oxidation of ketones using molecular oxygen and benzaldehyde. The prominent performance of the Fe-MCM-41-DHT could be ascribed to both tetrahedrally coordinated Fe3+ incorporated inside the framework of MCM-41 and its uniform nano-order mesopores allowing the access of bulky compounds to the active sites.