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U.S. Department of Energy
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Transition metal-catalyzed selective oxidation in carbon dioxide

Conference ·
OSTI ID:370603
;  [1];  [2]
  1. Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM (United States)
  2. Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (United States)

Carbon dioxide represents an enviromentally benign replacement for conventional solvents in homogeneous catalysis. Above its critical temperature (T{sub c} = 31.1{degrees}C) its density can be varied via the pressure, potentially allowing selectivity to be {open_quotes}pressure-tuned.{close_quotes} Rates and selectivity for epoxidation of allylic alcohols by vanadium catalysts, including V{sub 2}O{sub 5}, VO(acac){sub 2}, and VO(OiPr){sub 3} were measured in supercritical and subcritical CO{sub 2} (25{degrees}C) and compared to results in conventional solvents; oxidation of the alcohol is competitive with epoxidation above T{sub c}. VO(OiPr){sub 3} proved to be the most active catalyst due to its superior solubility. Dihydroxylation of olefins with stoichiometric OsO{sub 4} proved facile in supercritical CO{sub 2}, but two-phase CO{sub 2}/H{sub 2}O catalytic oxidation was unsuccessful due to the acidity of the medium. Rate and enantioselectivity data for the Ti catalyzed enantioselective epoxidation will also be presented.

OSTI ID:
370603
Report Number(s):
CONF-960376--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English