Development of a transition metal complex-immobilized catalyst for direct hydroxylation of benzene

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K05222
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 27030:Catalyst and resource chemical process-related
• Research Institution: Ehime University
• Principal Investigator: Yamaguchi Syuhei 愛媛大学, 理工学研究科(工学系), 准教授 (50397494)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: フェノール合成 / ベンゼン酸化 / 固体触媒 / 遷移金属錯体 / ゼオライト / 過酸化水素 / 1段階反応 / 担体効果

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Phenols are important organic intermediates in the chemical industry. Most of these phenols are industrially produced by multistep processes. For example, a three step cumene process has been employed widely as a commercial process for the production of phenol. On the other hand, the direct catalytic hydroxylation of benzene to phenol with environment-friendly oxidants has attracted much attention.
We tried to develop an efficient benzene oxidation catalyst to improve transition metal complexes encapsulated into zeolite. By optimizing the transition metal complex moiety as a catalytic active site and the cation moiety as the product capture site, improving the benzene oxidation activity was succeeded. Furthermore, developing a catalyst with higher activity by iron complex using mesoporous zeolite and clay mineral as a carrier was also succeeded.

Free Research Field

錯体化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

我々は、ゼオライト空孔内に遷移金属錯体を触媒活性部位として導入し、さらにゼオライトに存在するカチオン部分を生成物捕捉部位として、ベンゼンなどの環状炭化水素類の選択水酸化反応を進行させることに成功した。触媒活性部位とカチオン部位の組合せを考慮して触媒を調製することでベンゼンからフェノールへの一段階での水酸化反応が実現できると考えている。フェノール樹脂などの原料として非常に用途の広いフェノールが一段階の反応プロセスで合成ができれば、従来の多段階の反応プロセスで用いられていた試薬、溶媒、エネルギーなどの大幅な低減が期待でき、環境・エネルギー問題に大きく貢献できると考えられる。