Fabrication of Mn2O3 nanorods: an efficient catalyst for selective transformation of alcohols to aldehydesElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Characterization details of synthesized materials, reaction schemes, catalysis details with tables. See DOI: 10.1039/c5ra02504d

A facile wet chemical approach has been devised for the preparation of self-assembled, high surface area, nanostructured Mn 2 O 3 through an effective polymer-surfactant interaction. Its outstanding catalytic property for the selective transformation of alcohols to aldehydes has been reported. The polyethylene glycol/sodium dodecyl sulphate conjugates act as soft templates for the formation of manganese oxide nanorods upon treatment of a weak base, namely, diethanolamine, with manganese acetate as a precursor under mild refluxing conditions. The Mn 2 O 3 nanorods were found to be efficient and selective catalysts for the synthesis of valuable aldehydes and ketones over undesirable acid by-products using a low catalyst loading. The precursor alcohols bearing activated and unactivated aromatic rings, double and triple bonds, and chiral sugar moiety were tolerated in this direct oxidative transformation strategy developed under benign reaction conditions. Self-assembled high surface area Mn 2 O 3 nanorods have been fabricated through an effective polymer-surfactant interaction and their outstanding catalytic property for the selective transformation of alcohols to aldehydes has been discovered.