Detection of Palladium(I) in Aerobic Oxidation Catalysis

Palladium(II)‐catalyzed oxidation reactions exhibit broad utility in organic synthesis; however, they often feature high catalyst loading and low turnover numbers relative to non‐oxidative cross‐coupling reactions. Insights into the fate of the Pd catalyst during turnover could help to address this limitation. Herein, we report the identification and characterization of a dimeric Pd^I species in two prototypical Pd‐catalyzed aerobic oxidation reactions: allylic C−H acetoxylation of terminal alkenes and intramolecular aza‐Wacker cyclization. Both reactions employ 4,5‐diazafluoren‐9‐one (DAF) as an ancillary ligand. The dimeric Pd^I complex, [Pd^I(μ‐DAF)(OAc)]₂, which features two bridging DAF ligands and two terminal acetate ligands, has been characterized by several spectroscopic methods, as well as single‐crystal X‐ray crystallography. The origin of this Pd^I complex and its implications for catalytic reactivity are discussed.     

Manganese‐Catalyzed Redox‐Neutral C−H Olefination of Ketones with Unactivated Alkenes

Since 1987, stoichiometric cyclomanganation of ketones and subsequent reactions with olefins in the presence of either palladium salts or trimethylamine N‐oxide (Me₃N⁺O^?) have been reported, but the catalytic versions remain untouched so far. Herein, the first manganese‐catalyzed redox‐neutral C?H olefination of ketones with unactivated alkenes is described, and shows a distinct reactivity with its parent stoichimetric reactions. Remarkably, mechanistic experiments and DFT calculations uncovers a unique concerted bis‐metalation deprotonation (CBMD) mechanism of the Mn‐Zn‐enabled C?H bond activation.     

A Ruthenium(II)–Copper(II) Dyad for the Photocatalytic Oxygenation of Organic Substrates Mediated by Dioxygen Activation

Dioxygen activation by copper complexes is a valuable method to achieve oxidation reactions for sustainable chemistry. The development of a catalytic system requires regeneration of the Cu^I active redox state from Cu^II. This is usually achieved using extra reducers that can compete with the Cu^II(O₂) oxidizing species, causing a loss of efficiency. An alternative would consist of using a photosensitizer to control the reduction process. Association of a Ru^II photosensitizing subunit with a Cu^II pre‐catalytic moiety assembled within a unique entity is shown to fulfill these requirements. In presence of a sacrificial electron donor and light, electron transfer occurs from the Ru^II center to Cu^II. In presence of dioxygen, this dyad proved to be efficient for sulfide, phosphine, and alkene catalytic oxygenation. Mechanistic investigations gave evidence about a predominant ³O₂ activation pathway by the Cu^I moiety.     

Redox‐Active‐Ligand‐Mediated Formation of an Acyclic Trinuclear Ruthenium Complex with Bridging Nitrido Ligands

Coordination of a redox‐active pyridine aminophenol ligand to Ru^II followed by aerobic oxidation generates two diamagnetic Ru^III species [ 1 a (cis) and 1 b (trans)] with ligand‐centered radicals. The reaction of 1 a / 1 b with excess NaN₃ under inert atmosphere resulted in the formation of a rare bis(nitrido)‐bridged trinuclear ruthenium complex with two nonlinear asymmetrical Ru‐N‐Ru fragments. The spontaneous reduction of the ligand centered radical in the parent 1 a / 1 b supports the oxidation of a nitride (N^3?) to half an equivalent of N₂. The trinuclear omplex is reactive toward TEMPO‐H, tin hydrides, thiols, and dihydrogen.     

Fe3O4‐SAHPG‐Pd0 nanoparticles: A ligand‐free and low Pd loading quasiheterogeneous catalyst active for mild Suzuki–Miyaura coupling and C?H activation of pyrimidine cores

This paper reports a green magnetic quasiheterogeneous efficient palladium catalyst in which Pd⁰ nanoparticles have been immobilized in self‐assembled hyperbranched polyglycidole (SAHPG)‐coated magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄‐SAHPG‐Pd⁰). This catalyst has been used for effective ligandless Pd catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions of different aryl halides with substituted boronic acids at room temperature and in aqueous media. Herein, SAHPG is used as support; it also acts as a reducing agent and stabilizer to promote the transformation of Pd^II to Pd⁰ nanoparticles. Also, this environmental friendly quasiheterogeneous catalyst is employed for the first time in the synthesis of new pyrimido[4,5‐b]indoles via oxidative addition/C? H activation reactions on the pyrimidine rings, which were obtained with higher yield and faster than when Pd(OAc)₂ was used as the catalyst. Interestingly, the above‐mentioned catalyst could be recovered in a facile manner from the reaction mixture by applying an external magnet device and recycled several times with no significant decrease in the catalytic activity.     

Enzyme‐Inspired Room‐Temperature Lithium–Oxygen Chemistry via Reversible Cleavage and Formation of Dioxygen Bonds

Li‐O₂ batteries are promising energy storage systems due to their ultra‐high theoretical capacity. However, most Li‐O₂ batteries are based on the reduction/oxidation of Li₂O₂ and involve highly reactive superoxide and peroxide species that would cause serious degradation of cathodes, especially carbon‐based materials. It is important to explore lithium‐oxygen reactions and find new Li‐O₂ chemistry which can restrict or even avoid the negative influence of superoxide/peroxide species. Here, inspired by enzyme‐catalyzed oxygen reduction/oxidation reactions, we introduce a copper(I) complex 3 N‐Cu^I (3 N=1,4,7‐trimethyl‐1,4,7‐triazacyclononane) to Li‐O₂ batteries and successfully modulate the reaction pathway to a moderate one on reversible cleavage/formation of O?O bonds. This work demonstrates that the reaction pathways of Li‐O₂ batteries could be modulated by introducing an appropriate soluble catalyst, which is another powerful choice to construct better Li‐O₂ batteries.     

Catalytic CO Oxidation by O2 Mediated by Noble‐Metal‐Free Cluster Anions Cu2VO3–5−

Catalytic CO oxidation by molecular O₂ is an important model reaction in both the condensed phase and gas‐phase studies. Available gas‐phase studies indicate that noble metal is indispensable in catalytic CO oxidation by O₂ under thermal collision conditions. Herein, we identified the first example of noble‐metal‐free heteronuclear oxide cluster catalysts, the copper–vanadium bimetallic oxide clusters Cu₂VO_3–5^? for CO oxidation by O₂. The reactions were characterized by mass spectrometry, photoelectron spectroscopy, and density functional calculations. The dynamic nature of the Cu?Cu unit in terms of the electron storage and release is the driving force to promote CO oxidation and O₂ activation during the catalysis.     

Highly selective aerobic oxidation of alkylarenes catalyzed by cobalt‐based nanocatalyst in aqueous solution

The catalytic aerobic oxidation of alkylarenes catalyzed by cobalt supported on a highly crystalline γ‐Al₂O₃ support (Co/Al₂O₃ nanocatalyst) is reported. The catalyst was prepared by a co‐precipitation method and characterized using scanning and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopies, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction and surface area measurements. A wide range of alkylarenes were converted to corresponding ketones. The catalyst can be recovered by simple filtration is recyclable for up to six consecutive runs.     

Palladium catalyzed reductive homocoupling reactions of aromatic halides in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solution

Biaryls were obtained in good to excellent yields from the palladium catalyzed reductive homocoupling reactions of various aryl iodides and bromides in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solution without the need for any additional reducing reagents. Pd(dppf)Cl₂ is the most effective among the screened palladium catalysts for the homocoupling reactions. Fluorides, carbonates, acetates and hydroxides can be used as bases at promoting the palladium catalyzed reductive homocoupling of aryl halides in DMSO solution. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) analysis shows that the oxidative Pd²⁺(dppf) species can be reduced into the Pd⁰(dppf) active species by solvent DMSO molecules to furnish the catalytic cycle, indicating that DMSO plays a dual role as both solvent and reducing reagent. A plausible reaction mechanism has been discussed. Elimination of additional reducing reagents will not only reduce the reaction operation cost, but will also simplify the product separation and purification.     

Characterization of the FeV=O Complex in the Pathway of Water Oxidation

Hypervalent Fe^V=O species are implicated in a multitude of oxidative reactions of organic substrates, as well as in catalytic water oxidation, a reaction crucial for artificial photosynthesis. Spectroscopically characterized Fe^V species are exceedingly rare and, so far, were produced by the oxidation of Fe complexes with peroxy acids or H₂O₂: reactions that entail breaking of the O?O bond to form a Fe^V=O fragment. The key Fe^V=O species proposed to initiate the O?O bond formation in water oxidation reactions remained undetected, presumably due to their high reactivity. Here, we achieved freeze quench trapping of six coordinated [Fe^V=O,(OH)(Pytacn)]²⁺ (Pytacn=1‐(2′‐pyridylmethyl)‐4,7‐dimethyl‐1,4,7‐triazacyclononane) ( 2 ) generated during catalytic water oxidation. X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) confirmed the Fe^V oxidation state and the presence of a Fe^V=O bond at ≈1.60 Å. Combined EPR and DFT methods indicate that 2 contains a S=3/2 Fe^V center. 2 is the first spectroscopically characterized high spin oxo‐Fe^V complex and constitutes a paradigmatic example of the Fe^V=O(OH) species proposed to be responsible for catalytic water oxidation reactions.     

Efficient Palladium-Catalyzed Aerobic Oxidative Carbocyclization to Seven-Membered Heterocycles

The use of molecular oxygen in palladium-catalyzed oxidation reactions is highly widespread in organic chemistry. However, the direct reoxidation of palladium by O₂ is often kinetically unfavored, thus leading the deactivation of the palladium catalyst during the catalytic cycle. In the present work, we report a highly selective palladium-catalyzed carbocyclization of bisallenes to seven-membered heterocycles under atmospheric pressure of O₂. The use of a homogenous hybrid catalyst (Co(salophen)-HQ, HQ=hydroquinone) significantly promotes efficient electron transfer between the palladium catalyst and O₂ through a low-energy pathway. This aerobic oxidative transformation shows broad substrate scope and functional group compatibility and allowed the preparation of O-containing seven-membered rings in good yields in most cases.     

Trapping of a Highly Reactive Oxoiron(IV) Complex in the Catalytic Epoxidation of Olefins by Hydrogen Peroxide

The generation of a nonheme oxoiron(IV) intermediate, [(cyclam)Fe^IV(O)(CH₃CN)]²⁺ ( 2 ; cyclam=1,4,8,11‐tetraazacyclotetradecane), is reported in the reactions of [(cyclam)Fe^II]²⁺ with aqueous hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) or a soluble iodosylbenzene (sPhIO) as a rare example of an oxoiron(IV) species that shows a preference for epoxidation over allylic oxidation in the oxidation of cyclohexene. Complex 2 is kinetically and catalytically competent to perform the epoxidation of olefins with high stereo‐ and regioselectivity. More importantly, 2 is likely to be the reactive intermediate involved in the catalytic epoxidation of olefins by [(cyclam)Fe^II]²⁺ and H₂O₂. In spite of the predominance of the oxoiron(IV) cores in biology, the present study is a rare example of high‐yield isolation and spectroscopic characterization of a catalytically relevant oxoiron(IV) intermediate in chemical oxidation reactions.     

Heterogeneous Wheel‐Shaped Cu20‐Polyoxotungstate [Cu20Cl(OH)24(H2O)12(P8W48O184)]25− Catalyst for Solvent‐Free Aerobic Oxidation of n‐Hexadecane

The selective oxidation of alkanes as a green process remains a challenging task because partial oxidation is easier to achieve with sacrificial oxidants, such as hydrogen peroxide, alkyl hydroperoxides or iodosylbenzene, than with molecular oxygen or air. Here, we report on a heterogeneous catalyst for n‐hexadecane oxidation comprised of the wheel shaped Cu₂₀‐polyoxotungstate [Cu₂₀Cl(OH)₂₄(H₂O)₁₂(P₈W₄₈O₁₈₄)]^25? anchored on 3‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane (apts)‐modified SBA‐15. The catalysts were characterized by powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD), N₂‐adsorption measurements and Fourier transform infrared reflectance (FT‐IR) spectroscopy. The heterogeneous Cu₂₀‐polyanion system catalyzed the solvent‐free aerobic oxidation of n‐hexadecane to alcohols and ketones by using air as the oxidant under ambient conditions. The catalyst exhibits an exceptionally high turn over frequency (TOF) of 20 000 h^?1 at 150 °C and is resistant to poisoning by CS₂. Moreover, it can be easily recovered and reused by filtration without loss of its catalytic activity. Possible homogeneous contributions also have been examined and eliminated. Thus, this system can use air as oxidant, which, in combination with its good overall performance and poison tolerance, raises the prospect of this type of heterogeneous catalyst for practical applications.     

Trinuclear Non‐Heme Iron Complexes Based on 4‐Substituted 2,6‐Diacylpyridine Ligands as Catalysts in Aerobic Allylic Oxidations

Taking the regio‐ and chemoselectivities of our iron complex precursors with pyridine core in aerobic oxidations into account, we envisioned a more effective influence on catalytic properties by the introduction of different substituents in 4‐position of the pyridine moiety. The synthesis of these novel 4‐substituted (pyridine‐2,6‐diyl)dipropanoic acids 4 is described. Analogously to the unsubstituted derivative, ligands 4 reacted with Fe(ClO₄)₃ to form trinuclear Fe₃(μ₃‐O) complexes 3 , which were tested in the aerobic Gif‐type oxidation of α‐pinene to myrtenol, verbenone, myrtenal, and pinene oxide. The electronic nature of the substituents was found to slightly effect the ratio of allylic oxidation/epoxidation, whereas its influence on the oxidation preference of secondary to primary C? H bonds is negligible as compared to the unsubstituted complex.     

The catalytic reduction of nitrobenzene at the [MoVIO2(O2CC(S)(C6H5)2)2]2− complex intercalated in a Zn(II)–Al(III) layered double hydroxide host: A kinetic model for the molybdenum–pterin binding site in nitrate reductase

The heterogeneous reduction of nitrobenzene by thiophenol catalyzed by the dianionic bis(2‐sulfanyl‐2,2‐diphenylethanoxycarbonyl) dioxomolybdate(VI) complex, [Mo^VIO₂(O₂CC(S)(C₆H₅)₂)₂]²⁻, intercalated into a Zn(II)–Al(III) layered double hydroxide host [Zn_3−xAl_x(OH)₆]^x+, has been investigated under anaerobic conditions. Aniline was found to be the only product formed through a reaction consuming six moles of thiophenol for each mol of aniline produced. The kinetics of the system have been analyzed in detail. In excess of thiophenol, all reactions follow first‐order kinetics (ln([PhNO₂]/[PhNO₂]₀) = −k_appt) with the apparent rate constant k_app being a complex function of both initial nitrobenzene and thiophenol concentrations, as well as linearly dependent on the amount of solid catalyst used. A mechanism for this catalytic reaction consistent with the kinetic experiments as well as the observed properties of the intercalated molybdenum complex has thiophenol inducing the initial coupled proton–electron transfer steps to form an intercalated Mo^IV species, which is oxidized back to the parent Mo^VI complex by nitrobenzene via a two‐electron oxygen atom transfer reaction that yields nitrosobenzene. This mechanism is widespread in enzymatic catalysis and in model chemical reactions. The intermediate nitrosobenzene thus formed is reduced directly by excess thiophenol to aniline. The values of rate coefficients indicate that reduction of nitrobenzene proceeds much faster than proton‐assisted oxidation of thiophenol. This may account for the observation that the presence of protonic amberlite IR‐120(H) increases considerably the rate of the overall reaction catalyzed. Activation parameters in excess of the protonic resin and PhSH were ΔH^≠ = 80 kJ mol⁻¹ and ΔS^≠ = −70 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹. The large negative activation entropy is consistent with an associative transition state. The present system is characterized by a well‐defined catalytic cycle with multiple‐turnovers reductions of nitrobenzene to aniline without appreciable deactivation. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 33: 212–224, 2001     

Palladium clusters: Stoichiometric and catalytic reactions

The mechanistic aspects of organic reactions catalyzed with palladium clusters and stoichiometric reactions of carbonyl and carbene clusters are discussed. Palladium carbonyl carboxylates Pd₄(CO)₄ (OCOR)₄(RMe, CMe₃, Ph, CF₃, CCl₃) undergo thermolysis above 110–130°C, giving rise to CO₂, CO and diacyls. In solutions of aromatic compounds the insertion of carbon dioxide into the aromatic CH bond or activated CH bond of alkylaromatic compounds was observed in the course of the thermolysis. The decomposition of palladium carbene carboxylate cluster Pd₄(Ph₂C)₄(OAc)₄ at 80°C has been found to involve inner sphere carbene oxidation during which an oxygen atom is transferred from the carboxylate group to the carbene ligand. Analogously, the reaction of [Pd(OAc)₂PPh₃]₂ with formic acid, a reaction involving intermediate cluster formation, includes the transfer of an oxygen atom from the formate droup to the P atom of a phosphorus containing ligand, supposedly a diphenylphosphido bridging group. Positional and geometric α-alkene isomerization in aqueous PdCl²⁻₂ solution has been found to be catalyzed by palladium (I) complexes of type Pd₂Cl²⁻₄. Colloidal clusters containing more than 500 palladium atoms in the metal core, which are soluble in polar organic solvents, have been found to catalyze the oxidative reactions of alkenes, toluene, alcohols and formic acid. Alcohols bearing at least one hydrogen atom in α-position undergo dehydration under mild conditions in non-acidic solution containing a Pd, Mo octanuclear anionic cluster [Pd₄Mo₄(CO)₁₂Cp]²⁻. The reaction of benzyl alcohol gives rise to trans-stilbene. All these catalytic reactions can be rationalized within a scheme including the oxidative addition of the substrates across cluster metal-metal bond as a key step.     

Spinel copper ferrite nanoparticles: Preparation,characterization and catalytic activity

The magnetic CuFe₂O₄ nanoparticles have been synthesized and characterized by various spectroscopic methods, including X‐ray diffraction (XRD), O K, Cu and Fe K ‐edge X‐ray absorption near edge structure (XANES), energy dispersive X‐ray analysis (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The azide‐alkyne cycloaddition by the reaction of various phenylacetylenes with a mixture of benzyl halides and NaN₃ and also three component (A³) coupling reaction of aldehyde, alkyne and amine catalyzed by CuFe₂O₄ nanoparticles under aerobic conditions led to the formation of the 1,4‐disubstituted‐1,2,3‐triazoles and propargylamines in excellent yields. The catalyst can be recovered by applying an external magnetic field for the subsequent cycloaddition reactions and reused without any tangible loss in catalytic efficiency.     

Reoxidation of Transition‐metal Catalysts with O2

Transition‐metal catalyzed oxidation reactions are central components of organic chemistry. On behalf of green and sustainable chemistry, molecular oxygen (O₂) has been considered as an ideal oxidant due to its natural, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly characters, and therefore offers attractive academic and industrial prospects. In recent years, some powerful organic oxidation methods have been continuously developed. Among them, the use of molecular oxygen (O₂) as a green and sustainable oxidant has attracted considerable attentions. However, the development of new transition metal‐catalyzed protocols using O₂ as an ideal oxidant is highly desirable but very challenging because of the low standard electrode potential of O₂ to reoxidize the transition‐metal catalysts. In this Account, we highlight some of our progress toward the use of transition‐metal catalyzed aerobic oxidation reactions. Through the careful selection of ligand and the acidic additives, we have successfully realized the reoxidation of Cu, Pd, Mn, Fe, Ru, Rh, and bimetallic catalysts under O₂ or air atmosphere (1 atm) for the oxidative coupling, oxygenation reactions, oxidative C‐H/C‐C bond cleavage, oxidative annulation, and olefins difunctionalization reactions. Most of the reactions can tolerate a range of functional groups. These methods provide new strategies for the green synthesis of alkynes, (α ‐keto)amides/esters, ketones/diones, O/N‐heterocycles, β ‐azido alcohols, and nitriles. The high efficiency, low cost, and simple operation under air make these methodologies very attractive and practical. We will also discuss the mechanisms of these reactions which might be useful to promote the new type of aerobic oxidative reaction design.     

The Electronic Ground State of [Fe(CO)3(NO)]−: A Spectroscopic and Theoretical Study

During the past 10 years iron‐catalyzed reactions have become established in the field of organic synthesis. For example, the complex anion [Fe(CO)₃(NO)]^?, which was originally described by Hogsed and Hieber, shows catalytic activity in various organic reactions. This anion is commonly regarded as being isoelectronic with [Fe(CO)₄]^2?, which, however, shows poor catalytic activity. The spectroscopic and quantum chemical investigations presented herein reveal that the complex ferrate [Fe(CO)₃(NO)]^? cannot be regarded as a Fe^?II species, but rather is predominantly a Fe⁰ species, in which the metal is covalently bonded to NO^? by two π‐bonds. A metal–N σ‐bond is not observed.     

First‐principle calculations on CO oxidation catalyzed by a gold nanoparticle

We have elucidated the mechanism of CO oxidation catalyzed by gold nanoparticles through first‐principle density‐functional theory (DFT) calculations. Calculations on selected model show that the low‐coordinated Au atoms of the Au₂₉ nanoparticle carry slightly negative charges, which enhance the O₂ binding energy compared with the corresponding bulk surfaces. Two reaction pathways of the CO oxidation were considered: the Eley–Rideal (ER) and Langmuir–Hinshelwood (LH). The overall LH reaction O_2(ads) + CO_(gas) → O_2(ads) + CO_(ads) → OOCO_(ads) → O_(ads) + CO_2(gas) is calculated to be exothermic by 3.72 eV; the potential energies of the two transition states ( TS_LH1 and TS_LH2 ) are smaller than the reactants, indicating that no net activation energy is required for this process. The CO oxidation via ER reaction Au₂₉ + O_2(gas) + CO_(gas) → Au₂₉–O_2(ads) + CO_(gas) → Au₂₉–CO_3(ads) → Au₂₉–O_(ads) + CO_2(gas) requires an overall activation barrier of 0.19 eV, and the formation of Au₂₉–CO_3(ads) intermediate possesses high exothermicity of 4.33 eV, indicating that this process may compete with the LH mechanism. Thereafter, a second CO molecule can react with the remaining O atom via the ER mechanism with a very small barrier (0.03 eV). Our calculations suggest that the CO oxidation catalyzed by the Au₂₉ nanoparticle is likely to occur at or even below room temperature. To gain insights into high‐catalytic activity of the gold nanoparticles, the interaction nature between adsorbate and substrate is also analyzed by the detailed electronic analysis. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2010