Spectroscopic investigation and catalytic activity of copperII/ phthalocyanine encapsulated in zeolite Y

Abstract

Copper phthalocyanineCuPc.encapsulated in zeolite Y was prepared by in situ ligand synthesis method by reacting CuII. exchanged NaY with 1,2-dicyanobenzene followed by Soxhlet extraction with several solvents. The encapsulated copper phthalocyanine, CuPcYe. was characterized by chemical and thermal analyses, FT-IR, diffuse reflectance UV–Vis, and EPR spectroscopic techniques. The spectral studies unequivocally prove the encapsulation of CuPc in the a-cages of zeolite Y and suggest a distortion in the CuPc moiety. The encapsulated materials were more active than neat phthalocyanine in the epoxidation of styrene with tertiary butylhydroperoxide.