Enhancing the catalytic activity of carbon nanotubes by nitrogen doping in the selective liquid phase oxidation of benzyl alcohol

Nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (N-CNTs) were prepared by chemical vapor deposition method and employed as carbon-based catalysts for selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde with molecular oxygen as the terminal oxidant under the mild reaction conditions. The results showed that the N-CNTs exhibited much higher activity than the undoped CNTs, and the improved catalytic activity was probably attributed to the introduction of electron-rich nitrogen atoms in the graphitic domains enhanced electron transfer. Moreover, N-CNTs displayed excellent stability without an obvious loss in activity and selectivity for benzyl alcohol oxidation after eight cycling reactions. The results presented herein pave the way for the development of novel carbon catalyst for the liquid-phase oxidation of benzyl alcohol. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.