Zirconia Supported Iron as an Efficient Green Catalyst for the Selective Liquid Phase Solvent Free Oxidation of Alcohol with Molecular Oxygen

Liquid phase oxidation of alcohol to corresponding aldehyde and ketone in solvent free condition with molecular oxygen, at mild temperature and pressure was studied in a self-designed three necked batch reactor, using iron supported on zirconia as a catalyst. The catalyst was prepared by incipient wetness technique, reduced in hydrogen flow and characterized by X-ray Diffractometry, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy, Thermo Gravimetric and Differential Thermal Analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, particle size analyzer, surface area and pore size analyzer. Effects of different parameters such as temperature and time on the rate of reaction were studied. It was observed that the reduced catalyst showed higher catalytic activity and selectivity than the unreduced catalyst for the liquid phase oxidation of alcohols to corresponding aldehydes and ketones.