Highly selective aerobic oxidation of alkylarenes catalyzed by cobalt‐based nanocatalyst in aqueous solution

The catalytic aerobic oxidation of alkylarenes catalyzed by cobalt supported on a highly crystalline γ‐Al2O3 support (Co/Al2O3 nanocatalyst) is reported. The catalyst was prepared by a co‐precipitation method and characterized using scanning and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopies, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction and surface area measurements. A wide range of alkylarenes were converted to corresponding ketones. The catalyst can be recovered by simple filtration is recyclable for up to six consecutive runs.