Electro-Assisted Cyclohexene Selective Oxidation to Cyclohexanediol under Ambient Conditions

Extensive research interest has been sparked by the synthesis of 1,2-cyclohexanediol from cyclohexene, valued for its applications in epoxy resin diluent, unsaturated polyester precursors and fire retardants. However, traditional synthetic approaches typically require high temperatures, elevated pressures, long reaction times, complex catalysts and high costs, thereby limiting their widespread industrial application. In contrast, our approach achieves cyclohexene oxidation at ambient temperature and pressure using electrochemically generated *OOH radicals on a cathode in this work. Herein, we developed a bimetallic Fe₄Mo₂N electrocatalyst characterized by unique lattice distortion properties. Remarkably, this catalyst demonstrated negligible activity decay over 100 h, with *OOH radicals achieving nearly 100% selectivity in converting cyclohexene to 1,2-cyclohexanediol. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have elucidated that modifications in the coordination environment of the metal active site enhance the formation of distinct Fe–*OOH species. These species demonstrate superior oxidative catalytic activity, facilitating selective conversion from cyclohexene to cyclohexanediol. Our method represents a significant advancement in making the cyclohexene-to-cyclohexanediol route more accessible for industrial applications, offering a cost-effective and efficient alternative to conventional methods.