Hydroxylation of aromatic compounds with nitrous oxide. New possibilities of oxidative catalysis on zeolites

Studies on the use of zeolites in partial oxidation reactions are surveyed. Attention is concentrated on recent investigations of the gas-phase oxidative hydroxylation of aromatic compounds with nitrous oxide. Best results were achieved in the study of the simplest reaction of this type – the oxidation of benzene to phenol: in the presence of iron-containing ZSM-5 zeolites, the reaction proceeds with nearly 100% selectivity and a degree of conversion of benzene of 25–30%. Further development of this method for the introduction of hydroxy-groups may lead to new possibilities for the creation of effective technologies in the field of organic synthesis. The bibliography includes 87 references.