Insights into the Mechanism of Cumene Peroxidation Using Supported Gold and Silver Nanoparticles

Abstract

Due to the considerable industrial implications, an in-depth study of cumene peroxidation using supported gold and silver nanoparticles was carried out to gain more insight into the mechanism of this reaction. Supported gold nanoparticles were found to efficiently catalyze the decomposition of cumene hydroperoxide with a selectivity of 25% at 80 °C when using gold supported on hydrotalcite (AuNP@HT), and 2-phenyl-2-propanol (i.e., cumyl alcohol) was the main product. Further, silver nanoparticles supported on hydrotalcite (AgNP@HT) converted cumene to cumene hydroperoxide at 80 °C with 80% selectivity. Both benchtop and oxygen-uptake experiments were used to probe the reaction mechanism and suggest that formation of a peroxyl radical-nanoparticle adduct is an important step in the peroxidation pathway and may be directly involved in the formation of the major cumyl alcohol product.