Catalytic oxidation of trans-stilbene using pyrolysed manganese-loaded cation exchange resin Original Research Article

The work presented in this paper describes a method for the preparation of supported metal catalysts on carbon matrix. Manganese used as metal catalyst was loaded onto an ion exchange resin and this precursor was calcined over a wide range of temperature between 600 and 900 °C. The final materials consist of discrete (typically 0.5–0.8 mm diameter) spherical particles of manganese-loaded carbon. Electron microscopy was performed, which demonstrated that the structural integrity of the particles is maintained after calcination. Textural characterisation evidenced a correlation between the temperature of calcination, the specific surface area and the density of the calcined materials. The chemical moieties present, as found by XRD analysis, have been established and the catalytic activity of the material for oxidation reactions has been tested.The catalytic activity of the calcined materials was examined in the case of the oxidation of trans-stilbene to trans-stilbene oxide for different calcination temperatures. trans-Stilbene oxide and benzaldeyde were found to be the major products of the oxidation reaction. Conversions of >50%, at all pyrolysis temperatures, were achieved at 55 °C in 144 h.