Oxyfunctionalisation of adamantane with 30%aq.H
2O
2 in butyronitrile solvent was efficiently catalyzed by
inorganic–organic
hybrid materials synthesized by the immobilisation of isopoly (WOx = sodium tungstate, MoOx = sodium molybdate and VOx = sodium metavanadate) and heteropoly anions (V1 = H
4[PMo
11VO
40]·32·5H
2O,and V3 = H
6[PMo
9V
3O
40]·34H
2O, STA = silicotungstic acid, TPA = tungstophosphoric acid and MPA = molybdophosphoric acid) onto mesoporous silica (SBA-15). These
catalysts were well characterized by standard techniques and it was found that polyoxometalate has been retained all its bulk characteristics upon immobilisation onto mesoporous silica. Among the
catalysts 10-molybdo-2-vanadophosphoric acid (H
5[PMo
10V
2O
40]·32·5H
2O) immobilized onto amine-functionalized SBA-15 gave the highest activity under the conditions in the liquid phase oxidation of adamantane with 30%aq.H
2O
2 in butyronitrile solvent and gave mainly 1-adamantanol. Kinetic parameter measurements were performed by following initial rate approach for determining the rate dependence of the reaction. In situ UV-vis and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopic studies carried out showed that the vanadium (V) superoxo intermediate species formed was responsible for the C
![single bond](http://www.sciencedirect.com/scidirimg/entities/sbnd)
H bond activation of adamantane to give 1-adamentanol. Based on this, a plausible mechanism for the oxidation of adamantane to 1-adamantanol has been proposed. The
catalysts leaching studies carried out by following a standard procedure ruled out any contribution by the active vanadium species that could leach into the reaction medium and
catalysts were truly functioned as heterogeneous
catalysts.