Oxidative Transformations of Organic Compounds Mediated by Redox Molecular Sieves

Zeolites are viewed by some as the “philosopher's stone” of modern chemistry.^[1] They are more or less indispensable in oil refining and petrochemicals manufacture where they are widely applied as solid acid catalysts. More recently attention has been focused on their use in the manufacture of fine chemicals. The synthetic utility of zeolites and related molecular sieves (zeotypes) has been considerably extended by the incorporation of redox metals into their frameworks. The resulting redox molecular sieves catalyze a variety of selective oxidations under mild conditions in the liquid phase. Their structural diversity–including variation of the redox metal, incorporation of metal complexes, and the size and polarity of the micropores–provides the possibility of designing tailor-made solid catalysts (“mineral enzymes”) for liquid-phase oxidations with clean oxidants such as O₂, H₂O₂, and RO₂H. Hence, they have enormous potential in industrial organic synthesis as environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional oxidations employing inorganic oxidants in stoichiometric amounts. A primary aim of this review is to familiarize organic chemists with the synthetic potential of redox molecular sieves. An outline of their synthesis, structures, and chemical properties, highlighting their unique advantages, is followed by a discussion of general (mechanistic) features that influence the choice of a suitable catalyst for a particular type of oxidation. The main part of the review deals with the oxidation of various substrates of synthetic interest–such as alkanes, alkenes, (alkyl)arenes, alcohols, and amines–and emphasizes the advantages of redox molecular sieves (including selectivity and stability) over their homogeneous counterparts. New directions towards truly biomimetic solid catalysts, for example zeolite-encapsulated chiral metal complexes as heterogeneous catalysts for asymmetric oxidations, are high-lighted.     

Non‐Redox‐Metal‐Catalyzed Redox Reactions: Zinc Catalysts

The advantages of zinc catalysts, such as their low toxicity, low cost, and environmentally benignity, are encouraging organic chemists to explore their applications in organic synthesis. As a non‐redox metal, zinc catalysts have been investigated in redox reactions over the past few decades. Because of the importance of redox reactions, the interest in zinc catalysts, and the fact that no review on zinc‐catalyzed redox reactions has been published, herein, I have collected and summarized the main contributions in this area. This review is divided into two parts: reduction reactions and oxidation reactions.     

Two-State Reactivity in Organometallic Gas-Phase Ion Chemistry

In contrast to organic reactions, which can almost always be described in terms of a single multiplicity, in organometallic systems, quite often more than one state may be involved. The phenomenon of two states of different multiplicities that determine the minimum-energy pathway of a reaction is classified as two-state reactivity (TSR). As an example, the ion/molecule reactions of ‘bare’ transition-metal-monoxide cations with dihydrogen and hydrocarbons have been analyzed in terms of the corresponding potential-energy hypersurfaces. It turns out that, besides classical factors, such as the barrier heights, the spin-orbit coupling factor is essential, since curve crossing between the high- and low-spin states constitutes a distinct mechanistic step along the reaction coordinates. Thus, TSR may evolve as a new paradigm for describing the chemistry of coordinatively unsaturated transition-metal complexes. This concept may contribute to the understanding of organometallic chemistry in general and for the development of oxidation catalysts in particular.     

Pt-FeOx催化剂微结构对催化CO氧化性能的影响

借助较为成熟的纳米技术手段,采用PVP为保护剂、乙二醇为还原剂制备具有不同Pt/Fe比例的双金属纳米粒子,最终通过氧化处理获得具有不同微结构环境的纳米Pt-FeO_x催化剂,并以此为模型考察它们对CO氧化性能的影响。结果表明FeO_x物种的数量一方面影响Pt物种的价态,同时也影响Fe物种自身的氧化还原性质,这些性质直接和间接地影响着CO和氧分子的活化,Pt周围适量FeO_x物种的存在对构建高活性CO氧化催化剂有利。     

Experimental and Theoretical Investigations of the Existence of CuII,CuIII, and CuIV in Copper Corrolato Complexes

The most common oxidation states of copper in stable complexes are +I and +II. Cu^III complexes are often considered as intermediates in biological and homogeneous catalysis. More recently, Cu^IV species have been postulated as possible intermediates in oxidation catalysis. Despite the importance of these higher oxidation states of copper, spectroscopic data for these oxidation states remain scarce, with such information on Cu^IV complexes being non‐existent. We herein present the synthesis and characterization of three copper corrolato complexes. A combination of electrochemistry, UV/Vis/NIR/EPR spectroelectrochemistry, XANES measurements, and DFT calculations points to existence of three distinct redox states in these molecules for which the oxidation states +II, +III, and +IV can be invoked for the copper centers. The present results thus represent the first spectroscopic and theoretical investigation of a Cu^IV species, and describe a redox series where Cu^II, Cu^III, and Cu^IV are discussed within the same molecular platform.     

OXIDATION OF HYDROCARBONS UNDER THE MILD CONDITIONS

The oxidation of organic substrates leads to the production of many functionalised molecules which are of great commercial and synthetic importance. The conventional mode of oxidation which involves stoichiometric ammount of Cr or Mn salts has been staked out because of the environmental hazadrous process. The transition to cleaner, safer, and more efficient plants is a new paradigm in the synthetic organic chemistry. Nowadays, hydrogen peroxide and oxygen as oxidizing agents were extreamely valuable and attractive. It is increasingly recognized, when polymers are used as supports for catalysts or organic reagents, the reactivity and selectivity of the supported catalysts or reagents may be seriously changed by so-called "polymer effects". As metal catalyzed oxidation of organic substrates with oxygen, we arc planing the incorporation of transition metals into polymer. In oxidaton organic compound has little resistant, so syntheses of organic-inorganic hybrid polymer from silica gel and montmorillonite by the modification with silane coupling reagents and the complexation of transition metal ions into hybrid polymer obtained above were investigated.     

Tuneable Redox Chemistry and Electrochromism of Persistent Symmetric and Asymmetric Azine Radical Cations

Molecular organic radicals have been intensively studied in the last decades, due to their interesting optical, magnetic and redox properties. Here we report the synthesis and characterisation of persistent organic radicals from one-electron oxidation of redox-active azines (RAAs), composed of two guanidinyl or related groups. By connecting two different groups together, asymmetric compounds result. In this way a series of compounds with varying redox potential is obtained that could be oxidised reversibly to the mono- and the dicationic charge states. The accessible redox states were fully determined by chemical redox reactions. The standard Gibbs free energy change for disproportionation of the radical monocation into the dication and the neutral molecule in solution, estimated from cyclovoltammetric measurements, varies between 43 and 71 kJ mol⁻¹. While the neutral RAAs absorb predominately UV light, the radical monocations display strong absorptions covering almost the entire visible region and extending for some compounds into the NIR region. A detailed analysis of this highly reversible electrochromism is presented, and the fast switching characteristics are demonstrated in an electrochromic test device.     

A novel redox system consisting of π-conjugated polymers and transition metals

Coordination of π-conjugated polymers to transition metals constructs a novel redox system due to interchangeable various oxidation states of the polymers, which permits transition metals to interact with each other through a π-conjugate chain. The redox characteristics were found to depend on the electronic interaction with metals and the doping. A combination of copper(II) or iron(III) chloride and polyanilines afforded the complex catalysts with the higher oxidation capability for dehydrogenative oxidation. A catalytic system was also realized in the transition-metal-induced oxidation reaction, in which π-conjugated polymers serve as redox-active ligands participating in the reversible redox cycle. The Wacker oxidation of terminal olefins proceeded catalytically in the presence of a catalytic amount of polyaniline or polypyrrole derivative under oxygen.     

Oxidation of Organic Molecules with a Redox‐Active Guanidine Catalyst

Herein, we report the first examples of the use of redox‐active guanidines as catalysts in the green oxidation of organic molecules with dioxygen. In one half‐reaction, the oxidized form of the redox‐active guanidine is converted into the reduced, protonated state, thereby enabling dehydrogenative oxidation of the substrate (3,5‐di‐tert‐butylcatechol→ortho‐benzoquinone, benzoin→benzil, and 2,4‐di‐tert‐butylphenol→biphenol). In the other half‐reaction, efficient re‐oxidation of the guanidine to the oxidized state is achieved with dioxygen in the presence of a copper catalyst. These results pave the way for the broader use of redox‐active guanidines as oxidation catalysts.     

X-ray absorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of a rhodium colloid

Transition metal colloids are potential precursors of heterogeneous catalysts with application to selective chemical reactions. Sample preparation techniques are described. Experimental details are given of the characterization of these often air-sensitive particles by X-ray photoelectron and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. First results obtained with both techniques for a Rh-colloid show that the metal is mainly present in the zerovalent chemical state. But the spectra indicate further chemical states of Rh which can be assigned to the outermost metal atoms of the colloid interacting with organic ligands or to the educt Rh-halides.     

X-ray absorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of a rhodium colloid

Transition metal colloids are potential precursors of heterogeneous catalysts with application to selective chemical reactions. Sample preparation techniques are described. Experimental details are given of the characterization of these often air-sensitive particles by X-ray photoelectron and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. First results obtained with both techniques for a Rh-colloid show that the metal is mainly present in the zerovalent chemical state. But the spectra indicate further chemical states of Rh which can be assigned to the outermost metal atoms of the colloid interacting with organic ligands or to the educt Rh-halides.     

Mixed oxides of transition metals as catalysts for total ethanol oxidation

Oxides of transition metals could be suitable alternatives to catalysts based on noble metals in the oxidation processes used for the abatement of volatile organic compounds. Mixed oxides of transition metals can exhibit good efficiency and thermal stability, as well as being inexpensive. In this work, oxide catalysts containing various combinations of Cu, Co, Ni, Mn, and Al, grained or supported on oxidised aluminium foil Al₂O₃/Al, were studied in terms of their chemical and physical properties, including their chemical composition, porous structure, phase composition, reducibility, and activity in total ethanol oxidation. Ternary co-precipitated catalysts in the form of grains obtained from layered double hydroxide-like precursors were highly active, especially those containing manganese. Deposition of the selected precursors on an anodised aluminium foil-support afforded less active catalysts, mainly because the required metal molar ratios were not achieved, and insufficient amounts of metals were deposited. However, by controlling the preparation conditions (pH), higher loading of active components and higher catalytic activity were obtained.     

Catalytic Oxidation of Alcohols and Amines to Value‐Added Chemicals using Water as the Solvent

Designing reactions in aqueous media has been one of the major challenges in modern organic synthesis, especially to avoid the use of large amounts of organic solvents whose disposal is a matter of grave concern from an environmental perspective. The oxidation of alcohols and amines is an essential and important step in the synthesis of many valuable products including polymers and pharmaceuticals. In recent times, there has been a surge in the use of water as a solvent in many organic reactions. This review focuses specifically on the oxidation reactions of alcohols and amines carried out in water media using transition metal catalysts, metal‐free catalysts and photocatalysts.     

Aprotic Amine-modified Manganese Dioxide Catalysts for Selectivity-tunable Oxidation of Amines

Organic modifiers have shown promising potential for regulating the activity and selectivity of heterogeneous catalysts via tuning their surface properties. Despite the increasing application of organic modification technique in regulating the redox-acid catalysis of metal oxides, control of the acidity of metal oxide catalysts for enhanced reaction selectivity without sacrificing their redox activity remains a substantial challenge. Herein, we show the successful control of redox-acid catalysis of metal oxides with aprotic tertiary amine modifiers. Robust modification of manganese dioxide catalysts with N,N-dialkylcyclohexylamine selectively blocks the Lewis acid sites, with their redox activity mostly unaffected. This enables efficient synthesis of imines in high to excellent selectivity via aerobic oxidation of structurally diverse aryl amines.     

Reduction and Hydrogenation with the System Hydrocarbon/Carbon [New Synthetic Methods (70)]

For the synthesis of organic compounds, reduction is an indispensible reaction type which is also widely used on an industrial scale. In industrial processes hydrogen is usually used as reducing agent, since strong reducing agents like alkali metals and hydrides can only be used to a limited extent for safety and economic reasons. Very economical reducing agents that are convenient to handle and have high potential application are hydrocarbons in presence of carbon. Hydrocarbon/carbon systems can be readily used instead of molecular hydrogen and expensive metal catalysts for the hydrogenation of compounds containing, for example, CC-, CO-, or NO-double bonds. Furthermore, these systems can be used for carrying out reductions which hitherto required strong reducing agents such as zinc, tin, alkali metals and hydrides. Especially suitable as economic sources of hydrogen are refinery products such as vacuum gas oil, fuel oil S or vacuum residue oil. Hydrocarbons are dehydrogenated to unsaturated systems and finally to carbon.     

Preparation and Redox Properties of N,N,N‐1,3,5‐Trialkylated Flavin Derivatives and Their Activity as Redox Catalysts

Eight different flavin derivatives have been synthesized and the electronic effects of substituents in various positions on the flavin redox chemistry were investigated. The redox potentials of the flavins, determined by cyclic voltammetry, correlated with their efficiency as catalysts in the H₂O₂ oxidation of methyl p‐tolyl sulfide. Introduction of electron‐withdrawing groups increased the stability of the reduced catalyst precursor.     

Near-Infrared Electrochromic Behavior of Dibenzothiepin Derivatives Attached with Two Michler's Hydrol Blue Units

10,11-Bis[bis(4-dimethylaminophenyl)methylene]dibenzo[bf]thiepin ( 1 ) and -oxepin ( 2 ) were prepared as stable yellow crystalline compounds, which are the cyclic analogues of electron-donating hexaarylbutadienes. Upon two-electron oxidation, they are reversibly transformed into the title dications ( 1 ²⁺ and 2 ²⁺) exhibiting near-infrared (NIR) absorptions, which were also isolated as stable salts. These redox pairs can serve as new entries into less well-explored organic NIR-electrochromic systems, and the separation of redox peaks (electrochemical bistability) was attained for 1 / 1 ²⁺ and 2 / 2 ²⁺, thanks to drastic geometrical changes between neutral and dicationic states, as revealed by a series of X-ray analyses. Thiepin-S,S-dioxide analogue ( 3 / 3 ²⁺) exhibits quite similar dynamic redox behavior due to nonaromatic nature of the dibenzothiepin and -oxepin unit in 1 ²⁺ and 2 ²⁺, whereas the thiepin-S-oxide derivative ( 4 / 4 ²⁺) does not exhibit bistability due to the smaller change in geometry upon electron transfer, showing that a subtle change of a bridging atom in the central seven-membered ring can modify the redox properties.     

Kinetic aspects of trace-component oxidation in environmental protection

Many and varied kinetic laws apply for the extensive oxidation of small amounts of organic compounds on platinum catalysts. Kinetic models for mixture oxidation are sometimes predicted on a principle for simple interaction between individual reactions. The transient response preceding the stationary state has been examined for various such reactions, which gives information for the kinetic models and also shows that the mechanisms are various. These models can be used in industrial catalytic purification.Zelinskii Organic Chemistry Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow. Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Éksperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 27, No. 5, pp. 525–535, September–October, 1991. Original article submitted July 12, 1991.     

CO2选择性氧化乙苯制苯乙烯

本文评述了近年来国内外利用温室气体CO₂选择性氧化乙苯制苯乙烯的研究进展.和乙苯直接脱氢法相比,新工艺不仅能降低反应温度,大幅度降低能耗,还能在一定程度上抑制催化剂的失活.氧化铝负载的Fe系催化剂和活性炭负载的La等过渡金属改性的V系催化剂具有较好的催化活性.CO₂对乙苯脱氢的显著促进作用要归因于金属氧化物催化剂的氧化还原机制以及乙苯脱氢和逆水煤气变换反应耦合的协同作用.尽管新工艺显示了良好的应用前景,但在将来的研究工作中还要强化催化剂失活机理的研究,开发新型高效催化剂并对新工艺的成本进行详细的评估。     

Realization of a "lockable" molecular switch via pH- and redox-modulated cyclization

A switchable organic system involving four distinct states that can be interconverted by use of both pH and redox chemistry as control parameters has been developed. The key molecules involved in this system are the phenanthridine-based heterocycles 1-isobutyl-1,2,3,12b-tetrahydroimidazo[1,2-f]phenanthridine (TIP) and 5-[2-(isobutylamino)ethyl]phenanthridinium (AEP). These two states are interchangeable via pH control, and in addition they can also be further manipulated by oxidation or reduction to convert them to their "pH-inert" forms: 1-isobutyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-imidazo[1,2-f]phenanthridinium (DIP) and 5-[2-(isobutylamino)ethyl]-5,6-dihydrophenanthridine (AEDP), respectively. UV and (1)H NMR experiments carried out in a biphasic dichloromethane (DCM)/water solution were used for in situ structure determination. The results showed that the pH-modulated cyclization and phase-transfer process between the TIP and AEP states was essentially quantitative and repeatable without any significant loss in activity and that reduction or oxidation could be used to lock out these states against such acid-base-induced changes.