Oxygen Insertion Catalysis by sp2Carbon

• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201103340
• Publication Date: 2011-08-16T16:13:06Z
• Authors: Benjamin Frank; Raoul Blume; Ali Rinaldi; Annette Trunschke; Robert Schlögl
• Keywords: 02 engineering and technology; 0210 nano-technology

Black matter in catalysis: Graphitic carbon catalyzes the insertion of O atoms into acrolein. Such complex multistep atom rearrangements were believed to be the exclusive domain of metal (oxide) catalysis. In the C-catalyzed process, the nucleophilic O atoms terminating the graphite (0001) surface abstract the formyl H atom and the activated aldehyde is oxidized by a mobile epoxide O atom. Thus, the sp2 carbon acts as a bifunctional catalyst.