Highly crystalline K-intercalated Se/C: an easily accessible mesoporous material catalyzing the epoxidation of β-ionone

Highly crystalline K-intercalated Se/C was fabricated via calcining commercially available methylselenized glucose with KBr, followed by subsequent washing with water. The corrosion by water of KBr led to a large number of mesopores in the material, enhancing its specific surface area and facilitating the adsorption of organic reactants, which was beneficial for reaction performance. Thus, in comparison with Se/C prepared without the KBr template, the catalytic activity of K-intercalated Se/C was significantly promoted in the selective epoxidation reaction of beta-ionone using O-2 as a mild oxidant.

Automated summary

Highly crystalline K-intercalated Se/C material was successfully fabricated, and it was found that the corrosion of KBr by water can increase the mesopore amount and specific surface area of the material, facilitating the adsorption of organic reactants and boosting the reaction performance.