Application of metal organic frameworks M(bdc)(ted)0.5 (M = Co, Zn, Ni, Cu) in the oxidation of benzyl alcohol

The selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde is an important process in heterogeneous catalysis and green organic chemistry. Herein, we investigated the effect of different metal ions in the metal organic framework M(bdc)(ted)0.5 (M = Co, Zn, Ni, Cu, bdc = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate, ted = triethylenediamine) on the catalytic activity of benzyl alcohol oxidation. The catalytic results demonstrated that Co(bdc)(ted)0.5 achieved good benzyl alcohol conversion (81.8%) and benzaldehyde selectivity (>99%) by using O2 as the oxidant. The catalysts could be reused several times without significant degradation in activity.