Molybdenum Oxide-Catalyzed Benzylation

Significance

Nanostructured MoO₃ (MP-MoO₃)-catalyzed dehydrative alkylation of arenes with benzylic alcohols is reported. Thus, MP-MoO₃ was prepared from aqueous (NH₄)₆Mo₇O₂₄ via precipitation followed by calcination. The reaction of various arenes with benzyl alcohol was carried out in the presence of MP-MoO₃ under argon atmospheric conditions to give the corresponding benzylated aromatic products in 15-95% yield. MP-MoO₃ catalyzed the intramolecular aromatic alkylation to afford five-to-seven-membered rings in 88-92% yield. MP-MoO₃ also catalyzed the alkylation of p-xylene with various primary and secondary benzylic alcohols (88-96%).