A new kind of hierarchical porous zirconium phosphonate: preparation and application on oxidation catalysis

Abstract A kind of new zirconium phosphonate material (named as ZrDP) with multilevel porous structure and high surface area (about 408.6 m²/g) was synthesized by the reaction between 1,4,7,10-Tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetrayl- tetrakis(methylphosphonic acid) (DOTMP) and zirconium dichloride oxide octahydrate. Microporous structure (diameter about 0.64 nm) from 1,4,7,10- Tetraazacyclododecane in DOTMP and structural pores with diameter about 1.68 nm were found in the material. A series of metal coordination structures were synthesized basing on the coordination skeleton in ZrDP and Cu@ZrDP (Cu²⁺ ions coordinated with N atoms in ZrDP) exhibited high catalytic activity in the selective oxidation reaction from benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde with 90.2% selectivity.