Catalytic activity of tetravalent metal phosphates and phosphonates on the oxidation of (+)-3-carene Original Research Article

Tetravalent metal phosphates and phosphonates form highly insoluble inorganic polymers and can act as good catalysts in some oxidative reactions. In the present work, zirconium phosphate amorphous (ZrPA), scandium exchanged zirconium phosphate amorphous (ScZrPA), sodium exchanged zirconium phosphate amorphous (NaZrPA), potassium exchanged zirconium phosphate amorphous (KZrPA), zirconium phenylphosphonate amorphous (ZrPPA) and zirconium phenylphosphonate phosphate amorphous (ZrPA/ZrPPA), were prepared and evaluated as catalysts for the oxidation of 3,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[4.1.0]hept-3-ene [(+)-3-carene)] by hydrogen peroxide, in different solvents. It was found that the oxidation reaction of (+)-3-carene yielded three major products, namely α-3,4-epoxycarane, carane-3β,4α-diol and 3β-acetoxycaran-4α-ol, depending on the catalyst and solvent conditions. No β-3,4-epoxycarane was detected in the studied conditions.