Efficient oxidation of ethylbenzene catalyzed by cobalt zeolitic imidazolate framework ZIF-67 and NHPI

Efficient catalytic oxidation of ethylbenzene to acetophenone was realized using the catalytic system of cobalt zeolitic imidazolate framework ZIF-67/N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) under mild conditions. 95.2% conversion of ethylbenzene with 90.3% selectivity to acetophenone could be obtained at 373 K under 0.3 MPa o(2) for 9 h. The results show that there exists synergetic effect between ZIF-67 and NHPI. 1-Phenylethyl hydroperoxide (PEHP) was generated via a radical process involving the hydrogen abstraction from ethylbenzene by phthalimide N-oxyl, and subsequently effectively decomposed to acetophenone by ZIF-67.