Cobalt Supported on Ce-MOF-Derived CeO2 as a Catalyst for the Efficient Epoxidation of Styrene Under Aerobic Conditions

Based on the important application of epoxides, it is an attractive and urgent topic to develop sustainable and more efficient preparation protocols for epoxides. Herein, we report an exploration of styrene epoxidation method with CoOX/CeO(2 )bimetallic oxides as a heterogenous catalyst. The catalyst was prepared by the pyrolysis of a MOF precursor and characterized by SEM, TEM, BET, XRD, XPS, ICP-OES and Raman spectroscopy. The results indicate that the presence of abundant oxygen vacancies on the surface of CoOX/CeO2, and the synergy of CoOX/CeO2 bimetallic oxides significantly contribute to the excellent catalytic performance. The catalytic oxidation protocol showed high styrene conversion and selectivity, and the range of suitable substrates was also explored. In addition, CoOX/CeO2 catalyst showed good reusability and stability after recycling for six times without significant loss of catalytic activity. Designed control experiments revealed that the reaction proceeds via a co-oxidation mechanism and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved. [Graphical Abstract]