Oxidation of 2,3,5-trimethylphenol to 2,3,5-trimethylbenzoquinone with aqueous hydrogen peroxide in the presence of spinel CuCo2O4

The catalytic oxidation of 2,3,5-trimethylphenol was carried out with aqueous hydrogen peroxide over spinel CuCo2O4; under the mild conditions, this study realized 80% selectivity for 2,3,5-trimethylquinone at 100% conversion of 2,3,5-trimethylphenol. The catalyst was investigated by XRD, TEM, UV–vis and FT-IR; and the reaction has been studied by different parameters like performance of different catalysts, effect of aqueous hydrogen peroxide, reaction time, reaction temperature, solvents, catalyst concentration, catalyst separation, and recycling of catalyst. Compared to the conventional methods, this method could be more eco-friendly.

Graphical abstractCuCo2O4 synthesized by sol–gel method using inorganic salts presented highly conversion (100%) and reasonable selectivity (80%) of catalytic oxidation of TMP to TMQ using aqueous hydrogen peroxide as oxidant for the first time. The rate of TMP conversion and the yield of the products largely depend on the experimental conditions. Compared to the conventional methods, this method could be more eco-friendly. Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide