Liquid phase catalytic hydroxylation of phenol by Fe-containing metal-organic framework, Fe-BTC (BTC = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate) using 30% H2O2 as an oxidant and H2O as solvent showed good activity and stability under mild reaction conditions. Phenol reacts with hydrogen peroxide over Fe-BTC to produce two main products, viz., catechol and hydroquinone. The effect of temperature, time, substrate/hydrogen peroxide mole ratio and amount of catalyst on catalytic performance were studied. The catalyst could be reused four times without losing significant loss of catalytic performance. The crystallinity and structure of catalyst were unchanged during the catalysis reaction, as confirmed by comparison of XRD and SEM of the fresh and reused catalyst. A reaction mechanism is proposed based on the experimental results.
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