Cu2+ coordinated graphitic carbon nitride (Cu-g-C3N4) nanosheets from melamine for the liquid phase hydroxylation of benzene and VOCs

[Display omitted] •Copper modified graphitic carbon nitride was synthesized from melamine.•Cu2+/Cu+ redox couple was found to be responsible for the catalytic activity.•The presence of nitrile group on the catalyst was determined by FTIR.•The oxidation of benzene using the catalyst gave exclusively phenol.•p-benzoquinone (2.5%) was the only by-product of the oxidation. Copper modified graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets (Cu-g-C3N4) was synthesized and used in the hydroxylation of benzene under mild conditions with hydrogen peroxide as a “green” oxidant. The presence of copper ions (Cu2+) was confirmed from the XPS, EDX and also the hydrogen TPR analyses. The catalyst shows excellent activity, resulting in 74.1% conversion of benzene with phenol as the major product (97.5%) and only p-benzoquinone as the by-product. The catalyst’s selectivity towards phenol did not exhibit significant change even after being reused for several cycles. The catalyst was also used for the oxidation of several other organic compounds with interesting results.