An efficient recyclable peroxometalate-based polymer-immobilised ionic liquid phase (PIILP) catalyst for hydrogen peroxide-mediated oxidation

22 Mar 2012

Scientists have developed an efficient peroxophosphotungstate-based polymer-immobilised ionic liquid phase catalyst for the epoxidation of allylic alcohols and alkenes.

Polyoxometalates (POMs) have been shown to be efficient Bronsted acid catalysts and selective oxidation catalysts in various important transformations. Research in recent years has been focused on surface immobilisation of POMs in order to develop continuous flow process and improve the robustness and recyclability of the catalysts and to avoid or reduce catalyst leaching.

In this work, scientists from Newcastle University and Queen’s University, Belfast led by Simon Doherty, Julian Knight and Christopher Hardacre prepared a linear cation-decorated polymeric support with tuneable surface properties and microstructure by ring-opening metathesis polymerisation of a norbornene-based monomer with cyclooctene. The resulting peroxophosphotungstate-based polymer-supported ionic liquid phase catalyst presented an efficient system for the epoxiadation of allylic alcohols and alkenes. Importantly, the catalysts could be easily recovered and reused with only a slight reduction in performance.