Study of support effect on gold catalysts for oxidation reactions

• Grant number: 15/23771-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2016
• End date: January 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Inorganic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Liane Marcia Rossi
• Grantee: Gabriel dos Santos Barauskaite Vasiunas
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Gold nanocatalysts have demonstrated excellent catalytic properties and high selectivity in various reactions, especially catalytic oxidations. However, one of the limitations in the practical use of gold as catalyst in oxidations is the low activity of gold in the absence of base, which can cause degradation of the catalyst and undesired side reactions. Some alternatives have appeared in the literature, such as the use of basic supports. This research project falls within the current FAPESP process number 2014/15159-8 - "Metal Nanoparticles: challenges on the preparation, stabilization and activation for catalysis". The main objectives are the development of catalytic systems based gold to study the effect of using basic solid supports (or added base) on activity, selectivity and catalyst stability in the oxidation or oxidative esterification of alcohols. The selective oxidations are one of the most important functional group transformations in organic synthesis, being crucial in industrial processes for the generation of important intermediates. The use of catalysts enables the use of green oxidants such as molecular oxygen, producing only water as by-product.