Selective Oxidation of n-Hexane by Cu (II) Nanoclusters Supported on Nanocrystalline Zirconia Catalyst

Cu (II) nanoclusters supported on nanocrystalline zirconia catalyst (with size similar to 15 nm), was prepared by using cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium in a hydrothermal synthesis method. The catalyst was characterized by XRD, XPS, TGA, SEM, TEM, FTIR and ICP-AES. The catalyst was found to be efficient in selective oxidation of n-hexane to 2-hexanol. An n-hexane conversion of 55%, with a 2-hexanol selectivity of 70% was achieved over this catalyst in liquid phase, without the use of any solvent. The catalyst can be reused several times without any significant activity loss.