Hydrothermal self - sacrificing growth of polymorphous MnO2 on magnetic porous - carbon (Fe3O4@Cg/MnO2): A sustainable nanostructured catalyst for activation of molecular oxygen

Novel core-shell carbon coated-magnetic (Fe3O4@Cg) nanoparticles supported MnO2 nanosheets (with α- and β-type structure) (Fe3O4@Cg/MnO2) are synthesized through a self-sacrificing templet method. The new hybrid material was fully characterized with Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), N2 adsorption/desorption analysis, and transmission electron microscopy; XRD and SEM results affirmed that α- and β-MnO2 nanosheets polymorphs onto the Fe3O4@Cg. The catalytic activity of the as-prepared nanostructured catalyst Fe3O4@Cg/MnO2 has been evaluated in O2 activation for the selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde with high conversion; it stability being confirmed by the recycling of the nanostructured catalyst with no obvious loss even after six repeated runs.