Highly efficient and green oxidation of alkanes and alkylaromatics with hydrogen peroxide catalysed by silver and vanadyl on mesoporous silica‐coated magnetite

A heterogeneous catalyst (FeSi/Ag/VO) based on silver and vanadyl as active sites and mesoporous silica‐coated nanospheres of magnetite (Fe₃O₄@m‐SiO₂) as support was successfully prepared by deposition of Ag nanoparticles and the covalent grafting of vanadyl(IV) acetylacetonate on Fe₃O₄@m‐SiO₂. The catalyst exhibited excellent activity for the oxidation of alkanes, benzene and alkylaromatics using green oxidant H₂O₂ and oxalic acid in acetonitrile at 60 °C.     

Asymmetric α‐Hydroxylation of Tetralone‐Derived β‐Ketoesters by Using a Guanidine–Urea Bifunctional Organocatalyst in the Presence of Cumene Hydroperoxide

Highly enantioselective catalytic oxidation of 1‐tetralone‐derived β‐keto esters was achieved by using a guanidine–urea bifunctional organocatalyst in the presence of cumene hydroperoxide (CHP), a safe, commercially available oxidant. The α‐hydroxylation products were obtained in 99 % yield with up to 95 % enantiomeric excess (ee). The present oxidation was successfully applied to synthesize a key intermediate of the anti‐cancer agent daunorubicin ( 2 ).     

Exploring the Reactivity of Multicomponent Photocatalysts: Insight into the Complex Valence Band of BiOBr

The band structure of multicomponent semiconductor photocatalysts, as well as their reactivity distinction under different wavelengths of light, is still unclear. BiOBr, which is a typical multicomponent semiconductor, may have two possible valence‐band structures, that is, two discrete valence bands constructed respectively from O 2p and Br 4p orbitals, or one valence band derived from the hybridization of these orbitals. In this work, aqueous photocatalytic hydroxylation is applied as the probe reaction to investigate the nature and reactions of photogenerated holes in BiOBr. Three organic compounds (microcystin‐LR, aniline, and benzoic acid) with different oxidation potentials were selected as substrates. Isotope labeling (H₂¹⁸O as the solvent) was used to determine the source of the O atom in the hydroxyl group of the products, which distinguishes the contribution of different hydroxylation pathways. Furthermore, a spin‐trapping ESR method was used to quantify the reactive oxygen species (^.OH and ^.OOH) formed in the reaction system. The different isotope abundances of the hydroxyl O atom of the products formed, as well as the reverse trend of the ^.OH/^.OOH ratio with the oxidative resistance of the substrate under UV and visible irradiation, reveal that BiOBr has two separate valence bands, which have different oxidation ability and respond to UV and visible light, respectively. This study shows that the band structure of semiconductor photocatalysts can be reliably analyzed with an isotope labeling method.     

Novel Synthesis of Aza-phthalimidine Hydroxylactams

A novel and convenient synthetic route for preparing aza-phthalimidine hydroxylactams (5a–j) by N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) was developed. This method involved the substitution reactions of substrates (3a–j) with NBS via unstable intermediate bromides (4a–j) rapidly hydrolyzed into hydroxyl products in the course of the workup process.     

Allylic Hydroxylation Through Acid Catalysed Epoxy Ring Opening of Betulinic Acid Derivatives

Acid catalysed epoxy ring opening of several lupane type triterpenoids leads to unusual allylic hydroxylation. The reaction involves the formation of epoxide by m‐chloroperbenzoic acid followed by the treatment of mineral acid. The simple methodology finds utility to introduce a hydroxyl function at the allylic position in these triterpenoids, which is otherwise quite difficult.     

Iron‐Catalyzed Highly Enantioselective cis‐Dihydroxylation of Trisubstituted Alkenes with Aqueous H2O2

Reliable methods for enantioselective cis‐dihydroxylation of trisubstituted alkenes are scarce. The iron(II) complex cis‐α‐[Fe^II(2‐Me₂‐BQPN)(OTf)₂], which bears a tetradentate N₄ ligand (Me₂‐BQPN=(R,R)‐N,N′‐dimethyl‐N,N′‐bis(2‐methylquinolin‐8‐yl)‐1,2‐diphenylethane‐1,2‐diamine), was prepared and characterized. With this complex as the catalyst, a broad range of trisubstituted electron‐deficient alkenes were efficiently oxidized to chiral cis‐diols in yields of up to 98 % and up to 99.9 % ee when using hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) as oxidant under mild conditions. Experimental studies (including ¹⁸O‐labeling, ESI‐MS, NMR, EPR, and UV/Vis analyses) and DFT calculations were performed to gain mechanistic insight, which suggested possible involvement of a chiral cis‐Fe^V(O)₂ reaction intermediate as an active oxidant. This cis‐[Fe^II(chiral N₄ ligand)]²⁺/H₂O₂ method could be a viable green alternative/complement to the existing OsO₄‐based methods for asymmetric alkene dihydroxylation reactions.     

Experimental Evidence of CO2 Photoreduction Activity of SnO2 Nanoparticles

Tin dioxide (SnO₂) has intrinsic characteristics that do not favor its photocatalytic activity. However, we evidenced that surface modification can positively influence its performance for CO₂ photoreduction in the gas phase. The hydroxylation of the SnO₂ surface played a role in the CO₂ affinity decreasing its reduction potential. The results showed that a certain selectivity for methane (CH₄), carbon monoxide (CO), and ethylene (C₂H₄) is related to different SnO₂ hydrothermal annealing. The best performance was seen for SnO₂ annealed at 150 °C, with a production of 20.4 μmol g⁻¹ for CH₄ and 16.45 μmol g⁻¹ for CO, while for SnO₂ at 200 °C the system produced more C₂H₄, probably due to a decrease of surface −OH groups.     

细胞色素P450酶催化的烷烃选择性羟化

碳氢键选择氧化是合成化学领域的重要课题,其中烷烃选择性羟化反应更是面临着化学选择性、区域选择性和立体选择性等多重挑战.细胞色素P450酶广泛分布于动植物和微生物体内,是公认的多功能生物氧化催化剂.P450酶对惰性C-H键的选择性氧化具有独特优势,在催化烷烃选择性羟化反应方面拥有巨大潜力.本综述简述了P450单加氧酶及其催化烷烃选择性羟化的反应机理,梳理了来自CYP153家族、CYP52家族和其他家族的天然P450酶催化各类烷烃底物的氧化反应和选择性,讨论了理性设计和定向进化策略在开发烷烃羟化P450突变酶过程中的经典案例,介绍了底物工程、诱饵分子、双功能小分子协同催化等几种化学活化P450酶的策略及其在烷烃羟化上的应用,探讨了P450酶在烷烃选择性羟化方面所面临的挑战和解决途径,并展望了其应用前景.