Facile mechanochemical synthesis of Co@NC catalysts for oxidative esterification of benzyl alcohol with methanol

Abstract

A robust and solvent-free mechanochemical approach for the synthesis of cobalt–nitrogen–carbon nanocomposite by simple mixing of cobalt(II) salts, nitrogen-containing ligands and carbon black, followed by thermal treatment is suggested. The catalysts obtained were tested in the oxidative esterification of benzyl alcohol, demonstrating highly competitive performance.