Partial oxidation of cyclohexane with reductively activated dioxygen on SmCl3supported on graphite during H2–O2fuel cell reactions

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Abstract
The oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanol (CyOH) and cyclohexanone (CyO) on SmCl3 supported on graphite (SmCl3/Gr) utilizing an H2–O2 fuel cell system has been studied by means of kinetic and electrochemical techniques. O2 is reductively activated on SmCl3/Gr with e– and H+ which are supplied from the anode. The kinetic and electrochemical results have suggested that the current is determined by the electrochemical reduction of O2, but the oxygenate formation depends strongly on the stationary concentration of active oxygen (O*) generated on SmCl3/Gr. The optimum rate of formation of the products was obtained at a cathode potential of –0.24 V (vs. Ag|AgCl). The active site on SmCl3/Gr was suggested to be a Sm3+ coordinated with surface functional groups on the graphite. The reaction between the O* and cyclohexane proceeds through a non-electrochemical reaction and produces CyOH and CyO in parallel. The selectivity of the products on SmCl3/Gr did not change appreciably under different cathode potentials and O2 pressures. However, the selectivity varied widely for the oxidation on FeCl3/Gr. These observations suggest different O* species between SmCl3/Gr and FeCl3/Gr.