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Spontaneous epoxidation of styrene catalyzed by flower-like NiO nanoparticles under ambient conditions

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Abstract

Flower-like NiO microspheres with an average size of ⁓ 3 μm and nanoflakes size ⁓ 10–100 nm were synthesized by surfactant-assisted chemical precipitation method, using Ni(CH3CO2)2·4 H2O as a nickel source, diethanolamine as a complexing agent, and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as a surfactant. The obtain material was characterized by SEM, EDX, HR-TEM, XRD, and TGA. The obtained results confirmed the formation of highly ordered flower-like NiO nanoparticles. The catalytic activity of the obtained material was evaluated in the epoxidation reaction of styrene under ambient conditions, using meta-chloroperoxybenzoic acid (m-CPBA) as an oxidant. The obtained results revealed an immediate conversion of styrene to styrene oxide, with high conversion (87%), medium selectivity (65%), and high turnover-frequency (TOF) (243 s−1). However, when bulk NiO was applied only 62% conversion with 68% selectivity and TOF = 174 s−1 were obtained. Furthermore, this catalyst is was easily separable and recyclable. Moreover, a possible reaction mechanism is also proposed.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid University for funding this work through a research group project number R.G.P.1/115/40. The authors would like to express their gratitude to King Khalid University (Abha, Saudi Arabia) for providing administrative and technical support.  

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Catalysis Research Group, Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha, 61413, Saudi Arabia

    Taher Sahlabji, Mohamed Abboud, Radhouane Bel-Hadj-Tahar & Mohamed S. Hamdy

  2. Photovoltaic Laboratory, Research and Technology Center of Energy, Borj-Cedria Science and Technology Park, BP 95, 2050, Hammem-Lif, Tunisia

    Radhouane Bel-Hadj-Tahar

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  1. Taher Sahlabji
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  2. Mohamed Abboud
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  3. Radhouane Bel-Hadj-Tahar
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  4. Mohamed S. Hamdy
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Correspondence to Mohamed Abboud.

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Sahlabji, T., Abboud, M., Bel-Hadj-Tahar, R. et al. Spontaneous epoxidation of styrene catalyzed by flower-like NiO nanoparticles under ambient conditions. J Nanopart Res 22, 364 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-020-05098-w

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