Heterogeneous liquid phase oxidation of ethylbenzene to acetophenone with graphene carbon-based catalyst

The series of graphene materials and N-doped graphene materials were successfully synthesized and improved by high-temperature treatment with trace iron oxide. XRD, Raman, FT-IR, TEM and XPS were employed for these catalysts. The catalytic performance of these catalysts was investigated in the selective oxidation of ethylbenzene with tert-butyl hydroperoxide as oxidant. The impacts of temperature, mass of catalysts, reaction time and oxidants on the selective oxidation of ethylbenzene were also investigated. The N-doped graphene materials exhibit greatly remarkable catalytic performance than others. The conversion of ethylbenzene is more than 90% and the selectivity of acetophenone is more than 95% at 353 K. Graphene can be used as catalyst owing to its unique structures and chemical properties. The characterization tests show that the doping of N atoms can create more defects and more active sites in the N-doped graphene materials which could greatly improve the catalytic performance. Furthermore, such cost-effective graphene-based catalysts possess good stability and could be reused at least five times without remarkable loss of the catalytic activity.