Tailoring the surface properties of meso-CeO2 for selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol

The synthesis of a catalyst having all the required physicochemical properties for efficient reactivity is still lacking in the field of heterogeneous catalysis, whereas, the combined roles of these properties are essential for catalyst reactivity. Herein, the efficiency of inverse micelles as nanoreactors in designing mesoporous ceriazirconia catalysts is reported. The intrinsic properties of the CexZr1-xO2 as evidenced by the analyses depend on Zr composition. The superior performance of Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 in benzyl alcohol oxidation with TBHP, under the optimized parameters revealed the structure-induced reactivity, which is strongly ascribed to the combined effects of the modified mesostructure, reducibility and basicity.