Ionothermal Synthesis of Zirconium Phosphates and Their Catalytic Behavior in the Selective Oxidation of Cyclohexane

On their best behavior: Three zirconium compounds with one-, two-, and three-dimensional structures have been successfully synthesized by the ionothermal approach. The 3D zirconium phosphate (see picture; F green, H white, O red, P pink, Zr yellow) exhibits high catalytic performance, with a cyclohexane conversion ratio of 32 % and cyclohexanone selectivity of up to 83 %.