Mesoporous polyoxometalate-based ionic hybrid as a triphasic catalyst for oxidation of benzyl alcohol with H₂O₂ on water

A self-assembled mesoporous polyoxometalate-based ionic hybrid catalyst [TMGHA]_2.4H_0.6PW was prepared by combination of alcohol amino-tethered guanidinium ionic liquid [TMGHA]Cl with Keggin phosphotungstic acid H₃PW₁₂O₄₀ (PW). Nitrogen sorption experiment validated the formation of mesostructure with moderate BET surface area, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) showed a fluffy coral-shaped morphology for the hybrid. The contact angle test displayed that the hybrid owned hydrophilic-hydrophobic balanced surface that exhibited well wettability for both water and organic substrate like benzyl alcohol. Therefore, the hybrid can efficiently catalyze the water-mediated triphasic oxidation of benzyl alcohol with H₂O₂. During the reaction, the triphase catalytic system showed a special "on water" effect mainly due to the suitable mesostructure and surface wettability, thus providing some clues for the preparation of green heterogeneous catalyst.