Preparation, Characterization and Catalysis by Polyoxometalate-Synthetic Protein and Polyoxometalate-Protein Hybrid Assemblies

A cross-linked polyethyleneimine polymer containing the[ZnWZn2(H2O)2(ZnW9O34)2] poly-oxometalate was prepared from branched polyethyleneimine(Mw ) 600), the polyoxometalate, and an-octylamine-epichlorohydrin cross-linking reagent. This catalytic assembly was active for the selectiveoxidation of 2-alkanols to 2-alkanones with aqueous H2O2 with reactions presumably occurring at ahydrophobic domain. Most importantly, the catalyst showed distinctive lipophiloselectivity, that is selectivityas a function of the lipophilic nature of a reaction substrate. The lipophiloselectivity was proportional to therelative partition coefficient (1-octanol/water) of the substrates.