Selective Photooxidation of Benzyl Alcohol to Benzaldehyde via H-Abstraction by Bi2.15WO6 under Alkaline Conditions

In this study, Bi2.15WO6 with different morphologies was successfully synthesized and used for the selective photooxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde in aqueous solutions. High conversion (85%) and selectivity (85%) can be simultaneously achieved under alkaline conditions by adding ethylenediamine to protect the produced benzaldehyde from overoxidation. In the oxidation process, Bi-OO center dot and Bi-OOH on Bi2.15WO6, instead of OH center dot and O-2(center dot-), are the primary oxidizing species to sequentially abstract two H (H+ + e(-)) from benzyl alcohol, accompanied by the formation of H2O2. Meanwhile, h(+) and OH- also minorly contribute to the selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol via the H-abstraction pathway. This study enriches our understanding of the oxidizing species involved in the selective photooxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde.

Automated summary

In this study, different morphologies of Bi2.15WO6 were successfully synthesized and used for the selective photooxidation of benzyl alcohol in aqueous solutions. Ethylenediamine was added to protect the produced benzaldehyde from overoxidation, resulting in high conversion and selectivity under alkaline conditions. The primary oxidizing species were identified, enriching our understanding of the reaction mechanism.