Adipic acid (AA) was obtained by catalyzed oxidation of cyclohexene, epoxycyclohexane, or cyclohexanediol under organic solvent-free conditions using aqueous hydrogen peroxide (30%) as an oxidizing agent and molybdenum- or tungsten-based Keggin polyoxometalates (POMs) surrounded by organic cations or ionically supported on functionalized Merrifield resins. Operating under these environmentally friendly, greener conditions and with low catalyst loading (0.025% for the molecular salts and 0.001⁻0.007% for the supported POMs), AA could be produced in interesting yields.
Keywords: Merrifield resin; adipic acid; cyclohexene; organic solvent-free process; polyoxometalates.