Quinone-mediated synthesis of hydrogen peroxide from carbon monoxide, water and oxygen

An improved method for the synthesis of hydrogen peroxide from carbon monox ide, water and oxygen catalyzed by palladium complexes in presence of a qui none co-catalyst is described. Even if the reaction balance is formally the same, the mechanism of formati on of hydrogen peroxide in the new process is totally different to that pro posed for the reaction carried out in absence of quinones. Using 1,10-phena nthroline as a palladium ligand in a water/organic biphasic reaction medium , a dramatic enhancement of the catalyst stability was obtained operating i n presence of 1,4-naphthoquinone, which prevented the formation of inactive binuclear palladium species. Additional improvements, with respect to the reaction carried out in absence of quinone, are the use of cheaper palladiu m ligands and the safer process conditions, since air can be used as a reag ent instead of pure oxygen. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reser ved.