Zeolite-Y encapsulated VO[2-(2′-hydroxyphenyl)benzimidazole] complex: investigation of its catalytic activity towards oxidation of organic substrates

Zeolite-Y encapsulated VO(IV)2-(2′-hydroxyphenyl)benzimidazole (ohpbmzl) was synthesized by flexible ligand approach and characterized using various physico-chemical techniques such as elemental analysis, XRD, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV–vis-diffuse reflectance and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, BET surface area and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Based on the results a square pyramidal structure was suggested for the encapsulated complex. Shift in UV absorbance to higher wavelength and variations in the redox potential values compared to the non-encapsulated complex in CV confirmed the successful encapsulation of the complex in the zeolite matrix. The catalytic efficacy was investigated towards oxidation of phenol, styrene, cyclohexane and ethyl benzene in acetonitrile using H2O2 as oxidant. Influence of reaction parameters like catalyst and substrate concentration, substrate/H2O2 molar ratio, and temperature were investigated to optimize the reaction conditions for maximum substrate conversion and selectivity towards desired products using the encapsulated complex. The catalytic activity was compared with vanadyl exchanged zeolite-Y (VO-Y) and non-encapsulated complex. The encapsulated complex retained its stability up to 3 runs as confirmed by recycling studies. Mechanistic pathways were proposed for all the probe reactions.