Mediated improvement in catalytic performance of MCM-41 immobilized chromium Schiff base complex for solvent-free oxidation of cyclohexanol

A series of chromium (III) Schiff base complexes immobilized on MCM-41 were prepared and used for the selective oxidation of cyclohexanol with 30% hydrogen peroxide. The results revealed that the immobilized complexes were active catalysts and exhibited much higher catalytic performance than their homogeneous analogue. This could be ascribed to the dispersion effect of the support. Simultaneously, the linker flexibility and the surface property of support were also found to play important roles in the catalytic performance of immobilized complexes.