Paper Title
Surface Modified Metal Oxide Nano-Catalysts For Selective Oxidation Of Aromatics Hydrocarbons To Higher-Value Molecules

Abstract
Advanced oxidation processes(AOP) is essential in waste water treatment and exhibit potential for the chemical industry in the production of value-added commodity chemicals and even pharmaceuticals, etc. The process of selective oxy-functionalization of hydrocarbons using peroxide, O3, H2O2, O2, and transition metals can be carried out by the reactive oxygen species such as hydroxyl/hydroperoxyl radical and/or metal oxygenated species generated in the catalytic reaction. Thus, avariety of mechanisms have been proposed for the selective catalytic oxidation of various hydrocarbons including light alkanes, olefins, and simple aromatics by the biological metalloproteins and their biomimetics either in their homogeneous or heterogeneous platforms.In this study, we demonstrate thesurfacemodifiedmetal oxide nano-catalysts prepared from precursors metal salts (M = Cu, Fe, and V)through the solvothermal method and easily form in situ the oxidation of substrates using H2O2(aq) in CH3CN, and be facilely separated from the reaction mixtures, as well as recycled for several times with comparable catalytic efficiency for the highly selective conversion ofhydrocarbons including aromatics to higher-value oxygenated products. The mechanistic insights revealed from the oxy-functionalization of simple aromatics mediated by the surface modified metal oxide materials can pave the way towards developing facile, cost-effective, and highly efficient nano-catalysts for the selective partial oxidation of simple aromatics. Keyword - Advanced Oxidation Processes, Benzene; p-benzoquinone; Oxidation; Metal Oxide, Nano-Catalysts; Phenol; Toluene