Chromia-pillared zirconium phenylphosphonate and phosphate were prepared via preswelling the layered phosphates by ethylamine prior to the intercalation of the pillaring species. The Cr contents of the pillared materials reach 22.5%-36.5%. They have surface areas in the range of 316-462m^2/g and narrow pore size distributions with >70% mesoporosity. The diameters of the mesopores are centered around 2nm. The pillared zirconium phenylphosphonates are thermally more stable than the pillared zirconium phosphates. The chromia-pillared materials are efficient catalysts for selective oxidation of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, cyclohexane, cyclohexene, n-heptane and n- butanol using 30% H~2O~2 as oxidant. Their catalytic activities are much higher than those of CrAPO-11 and CrMCM-41.

Key words: CHROMIUM OXIDE, ZIRCONIUM PHOSPHATE, CATALYST, THERMAL STABILITY, HYDROGEN PEROXIDE, BENZENE, METHYLBENZENE, ETHYLBENZENE, CYCLOHEXANE, CYCLOHEXENE