Synthesis of Nickel Hexacyanoferrate Nanoparticles and Their Potential as Heterogeneous Catalysts for the Solvent-Free Oxidation of Benzyl Alcohol

Nickel hexacyanoferrate nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized using elemental analysis, thermal analysis, infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. A FE-SEM image of the nickel hexacyanoferrate showed that it consists of nearly spherical particles with sizes ranging from 30 to 70 nm. The synthesized material was found to be a heterogeneous catalyst useful for the solvent-free oxidation of benzyl alcohol with H2O2 as an oxidant. A 36% conversion of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde was achieved under optimized reaction conditions using specific parameters such as the amount of catalyst, the temperature, the benzyl alcohol to H2O2 molar ratio, and the reaction time.