Copper Catalysed Oxygenation of Bis (2-pyridyl) methane and 6-Methyl-bis (2-pyridyl)methane to the Corresponding Ketones

The ligands (L) bis (2-pyridyl) methane (BPM) and 6-methyl-bis (2-pyridyl)methane (MBPM) form the three complexes CuL²⁺, CuL, and Cu₂L₂H with Cu²⁺. Stability constants are log K₁ = 6.23 ± 0.06, log K₂ = 4.83 ± 0.01, and log K (Cu₂L₂H + 2H²⁺ ? 2 CuL²⁺) = ?10.99 ± 0.03 for BPM and 4.56 ± 0.02, 2.64 ± 0.02, and ?11.17 ± 0.03 for MBPM, respectively. In the presence of catalytic amounts of Cu²⁺, the ligands are oxygenated to the corresponding ketones at room temperature and neutral pH. With BPM and 2,4,6-trimethylpyridine (TMP) as the substrate and the buffer base, respectively, the kinetics of the oxygenation can be described by the rate law with k₁ = (5.9 ± 0.2) · 10^?13 mol l^?1 s^?1, k₂ = (4.0 ± 0.6) · 10^?4 mol^?1 ls^?1, k₃ = (1.1 ± 0.1) · 10^?12 mol l^?1 s^?1, and k₄ = (9 ± 2) · 10^?14 mol l^?1 s^?1.