Gold nanoparticles in mesoporous materials showing catalytic selective oxidation cyclohexane using oxygen

The nano-Au supported mesoporous materials were prepared and characterized by XRD, N-2 adsorption/desorption, UV-vis, XPS, and ICP-AES. The liquid-phase selective oxidation cyclohexane to cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone over nano-Au in mesoporous materials catalyst was carried out in a solvent-free system, in which oxygen was the only oxidant and the reaction conditions are very moderate. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.