Mesoporous MnCeOx solid solutions for low temperature and selective oxidation of hydrocarbons

The development of noble-metal-free heterogeneous catalysts that can realize the aerobic oxidation of C-H bonds at low temperature is a profound challenge in the catalysis community. Here we report the synthesis of a mesoporous Mn0.5Ce0.5Ox solid solution that is highly active for the selective oxidation of hydrocarbons under mild conditions (100-120 degrees C). Notably, the catalytic performance achieved in the oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanone/ cyclohexanol (100 degrees C, conversion: 17.7%) is superior to those by the state-of-art commercial catalysts (140-160 degrees C, conversion: 3-5%). The high activity can be attributed to the formation of a Mn0.5Ce0.5Ox solid solution with an ultrahigh manganese doping concentration in the CeO2 cubic fluorite lattice, leading to maximum active surface oxygens for the activation of C-H bonds and highly reducible Mn4+ ions for the rapid migration of oxygen vacancies from the bulk to the surface.