Heterogeneous oxidation of aromatic compounds catalyzed by metallophthalocyanine functionalized silicas

Controlled procedures for the covalent anchoring of iron tetrasulfophthaloc yanine onto amino-modified silicas have been developed to fix the complex e ither in a monomer or dimer form. Usually considered as a catalytically ine rt form, dimeric mu-oxo iron tetrasulfophthalocyanine grafted onto amino-mo dified silica or MCM-41 is shown to be a selective catalyst for the oxidati on of 2-methylnaphthalene to 2-methyl- naphthaquinone (vitamin K-3) and of 2,3,6-trimethylphenol to trimethylbenzoquinone.