Unprecedented Selective Oxidation of Styrene Derivatives using a Supported Iron Oxide Nanocatalyst in Aqueous Medium

Iron oxide nanoparticles supported on mesoporous silica-type materials have been successfully utilized in the aqueous selective oxidation of alkenes under mild conditions using hydrogen peroxide as green oxidant. The supported catalyst could be easily recovered after completion of the reaction and reused several times without any loss in activity (no metal leaching observed during the reaction), constituting a facile and straightforward example of aqueous oxidation chemistry promoted by iron-based heterogeneous systems.