Multi-wall carbon nanotube supported tungsten hexacarbonyl: an efficient and reusable catalyst for epoxidation of alkenes with hydrogen peroxide

Abstract

Highly efficient epoxidation of alkenes with H2O2 catalyzed by tungsten hexacarbonyl supported on multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) modified with 1,2-diaminobenzene is reported. The prepared catalyst, [W(CO)6@DAB-MWCNT], was characterized by elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy, FT-IR, and diffuse reflectance UV-Vis spectroscopic methods. The prepared catalyst was applied as an efficient catalyst for green epoxidation of alkenes with hydrogen peroxide in CH3CN. This heterogeneous metal carbonyl catalyst showed high stability and reusability in epoxidation without loss of its catalytic activity.