PHOTOCATALYZED OXIDATION IN ZEOLITE CAGES

A new concept of room temperature selective oxidation of olefins, alky l substituted benzenes and alkanes by electron transfer from the hydro carbon to the oxygen molecule induced by irradiation with visible ligh t is shown. The hydrocarbon radical cation-O-2 charge-transfer pair is generated inside the cavities of alkali or alkaline-earth ion-exchang ed zeolites, in which the large electrostatic field stabilizes the hig hly polar charge-transfer states of hydrocarbon-O-2 collisional pair a nd allows to control the pathways of further transformation. High sele ctivities to useful products are obtained using this approach. (C) 199 8 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.