Support pretreatment effect on the catalytic properties and reusability of silica-supported titania catalysts in 2,3,6-trimethylphenol oxidation with hydrogen peroxide

Abstract

The effects of some variants for silica support pretreatment on the catalytic properties and reusability of silica-supported titania in the liquid-phase oxidation of 2,3,6-trimethylphenol (TMP) into 2,3,5-trimethyl-1,4-benzoquinone (TMBQ) with hydrogen peroxide, a green oxidizer, have been investigated. The support pretreated with aqueous ammonia and then evacuated demonstrates the optimal activity, selectivity, and reusability of catalysts. The TMBQ selectivity reaches 93% at a TMP conversion of 90% in at least four cycles for the catalyst prepared.