Hydrogen peroxide oxygen atom transfer

Thus, the reaction mechanism of monooxygenation (hydroxylation) consists of oxygen atom transfer from hydrogen peroxide molecule to CH4 molecule by adding OH group to it and simultaneous proton transfer from methane molecule to the matrix. The well-known oxynoid mechanism of monooxygenation is not fulfilled. 

Main group elements such as Se, B, As, Al, and C carry out epoxidations with hydrogen peroxide and other oxidants such as persulfates. In this case, the oxygen atom transferred is the distal oxygen atom. 

A different type of chemistry has been realized in the process commercialized by EniChem in 1986, which is based on employment of and the titanium-silicalite TS-1 as heterogeneous catalyst [106, 111]. The hydroxy lation mechanism involves activation of hydrogen peroxide via the formation of a titanium hydroperoxo complex, TiOOH, followed by electrophilic oxygen atom transfer to phenol. Methanol and acetone are the solvents of choice to achieve high selectivity. The nature of solvent, phenol concentration, reaction time, and size of catalyst particles affect the CAT/ HQ ratio. The TS-l-based process offers clear advantages in terms of conversion, selectivity, efficiency (see Table 14.1), catalyst separation/recycling, and, hence, environmental impact. 

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