Polystyrene-Supported Cu/2,2,6,6-Tetramethyl-1-piperidine-N-oxyl Catalytic Systems Constructed by Nanoprecipitation and Their Cooperative Catalysis for Benzyl Alcohol Oxidation

Transformation of multifunctional homogeneous catalysts to the corresponding heterogeneous catalytic systems makes catalytic reactions interesting from both economic and environmental points of view. Here, we have devised a controllable and efficient strategy for the preparation of supported multifunctional catalysts by taking the Cu/2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidine-N-oxyl (TEMPO) catalytic system as an example. Polystyrene-supported Cu/TEMPO catalysts were, for the first time, prepared via nanoprecipitation of polymers in water and efficient for aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol (BnOH). Cooperative behaviors could be regulated by precise control of local concentrations of functional groups. We have demonstrated that the incorporation of functional groups into polystyrene supports can make better use of catalytic components, resulting from confinement-enhanced cooperation. This strategy provides access to build more efficient multifunctional heterogeneous catalysts through establishing structure–activity relationships.