Solventless Mechanochemical Fabrication of ZnO–MnCO3/N-Doped Graphene Nanocomposite: Efficacious and Recoverable Catalyst for Selective Aerobic Dehydrogenation of Alcohols under Alkali-Free Conditions

Catalytic efficacy of metal-based catalysts can be significantly enhanced by doping graphene or its derivatives in the catalytic protocol. In continuation previous work regarding properties highly-reduced oxide (HRG), graphene-oxide (GO) doped mixed metal oxide-based nanocomposites, herein we report a simple, straightforward and solventless mechanochemical preparation N-doped (NDG)/mixed nanocomposites ZnO–MnCO3 (i.e., ZnO–MnCO3/(X%-NDG)), wherein (NDG) is employed as dopant. The were prepared physical milling separately fabricated NDG calcined at 300 °C through eco-friendly ball mill procedure. as-obtained samples characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman, Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Energy-dispersive (EDX) surface area techniques. To explore effectiveness obtained materials, liquid-phase dehydrogenation benzyl alcohol (BOH) to benzaldehyde (BH) was chosen benchmark reaction using oxidant (O2) without adding any harmful surfactants additives. During systematic investigation reaction, it revealed that ZnO–MnCO3/NDG catalyst exhibited very distinct specific-activity (80 mmol/h.g) with 100% BOH conversion <99% selectivity towards BH short time. mechanochemically synthesized NDG-based nanocomposite showed remarkable enhancement performance increased compared ZnO–MnCO3). Under optimum conditions, successfully transformed various aromatic, heterocyclic, allylic, primary, secondary aliphatic alcohols their respective ketones aldehydes high selectively convertibility over-oxidation acids. addition, also recycled up six times no apparent loss efficacy.