Mild and selective catalytic oxidation of organic substrates by a carbon nanotube-rhodium nanohybrid

International audienceA heterogeneous catalyst was assembled by stabilization of rhodium nanoparticles on carbon nanotubes. The nanohybrid was used for the catalytic aerobic oxidation of diverse substrates such as hydroquinones, hydroxylamines, silanes, hydrazines and thiols, at room temperature. The system proved very efficient on the investigated substrates and demonstrated high selectivity. The selective oxidation of organic compounds under mild conditions is of practical importance in synthetic chemistry. In addition to classical stoichiometric processes, catalytic systems have been devised to perform oxidation reactions. 1 Further improvements in terms of sustainability were also achieved by supporting the catalysts, thus allowing their reclaim and reuse. 2 Among the various catalyst supports, nanostructured carbon allotropes, in particular carbon nanotubes (CNTs), have emerged as highly promising platforms that provide unique advantages such as chemical, thermal, and mechanical stability in liquid media, inertness, high specific surface area, and chemically tunable topography. 3 We previously reported supramolecular assemblies of metallic nanoparticles (e.g. Au, Pd, Ru) on carbon nanotubes. These assemblies afforded metal-coated CNTs that were subsequently used in the heterogeneous catal-ysis of various organic transformations. 4 In the course of our investigations we demonstrated that CNTs acted as synergistic support capable of enhancing the performances of the catalytic metal. With these critical features in mind, we sought to expand the scope of our nanohybrid systems by developing a catalyst that would promote a broad scope of oxidation reactions under mild and sustainable conditions