Metal-free phenanthrenequinone cyclotrimer as an effective heterogeneous catalyst.

A phenanthrenequinone macrocyclic trimer was synthesized and used as a heterogeneous catalyst for oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene. This model molecule under comparable kinetic conditions is up to 47 times more active than extended solid catalysts including nanocarbons, metal phosphates, and oxides, confirming the hypothesis that diketone-like groups can serve as active sites.