Cyclohexane oxidation catalyzed by variable-valence metal compounds in the presence of propionic aldehyde

The effect of propionic aldehyde additives on the kinetics and mechanism of cyclohexane oxidation by molecular oxygen catalyzed by variable-valence metal salts is studied. The effect of the catalyst metal (M) on the rate of oxygen consumption, yield, and ratio of reaction products (cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone, cyclohexyl hydroperoxide (CHHP), and propionic acid and peracid) is studied. The catalytic functions of the variable-valence metal salts are determined by their ability to influence the rate of the homolysis of the O–O bonds of peroxide compounds, which correlates with the redox potential of the metal ion for most of the catalysts studied. The fact that other salts of variable-valence metals do not fit this correlation is due to the multifunctional action of catalysts involved in chain initiation, termination, and degenerate branching. The main role of aldehyde in the process under consideration is to promote oxidation. According to the quantum-chemical studies, the catalyst cation largely determines both the structure of the [Mⁿ⁺-CHHP] transition complex and the rates of competitive homolysis and heterolysis of cyclohexyl hydroperoxide.     

Liquid-phase oxidation of cyclohexane. Elementary steps in the developed process,reactivity, catalysis,and problems of conversion and selectivity

The literature data concerning features of the kinetics and mechanisms of elementary steps of liquid-phase oxidation of cyclohexane and its oxygen derivatives are considered and analyzed. A comparison of rates of intermolecular and intramolecular reactions of cyclohexylperoxyl radicals under the industrial conditions indicated a necessity to take into account intramolecular interactions. The occurrence of cross recombination of hydroperoxyl and α-hydroxyperoxyl radicals without chain termination in the course of cyclohexanol and 2-hydroxycyclohexanol oxidation was proved. A significance of degenerate branching reactions involving cyclohexyl hydroperoxide in the industrial process of cyclohexane oxidation at 423 K was evaluated. The influence of the electron-withdrawing functional groups on the reactivity of carbon–hydrogen bonds of organic compounds in the reactions with electrophilic peroxyl radicals was studied. The low conversion of a substrate in the industrial process are mainly caused by the radicalchain oxidation of cyclohexanone leading only to by-products. The catalysts of cyclohexane oxidation, viz., compounds of variable valence metals, affect the reaction rate and ratio of the yields of the target products (cyclohexyl hydroperoxide, cyclohexanol, and cyclohexanone) but exert no effect on their relative reactivity. The use of the catalytic additives increasing the yield of cyclohexanone in the step of cyclohexane oxidation in the production of caprolactam is revealed to be inexpedient.     

Mild Oxidation of Cyclohexane Catalyzed by Cobalt(II) Acetate and Initiated by H2O2 in the Acetic Acid Medium

The homogeneous catalytic oxidation of cyclohexane by molecular oxygen and hydrogen peroxide in a solution of acetic acid (HOAc) in the presence of cobalt(II) acetate Co(OAc)₂ is studied. The high yields of cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone, and cyclohexyl hydroperoxide (0.10–0.15 mol/l) and the high rate of the process (w = 10^–5–10^–4 mol l^–1 s^–1) are explained by (1) mild conditions of oxidation in the medium of the HOAc solvent and (2) efficient initiation of the process due to the fast kinetics-controlled dissociation of H₂O₂ into radicals in the studied reaction medium under the action of cobalt cations. Quantitative relationships are found for the cyclohexane oxidation rate, the yield of target products, and the ratio of reactants participating in the process. The effect of hydrogen hydroperoxide additives on the concentrations of reduced and oxidized forms of the catalyst is studied by spectrophotometry in model mixtures. Quantum chemistry is employed to calculate the probabilities of some key elementary reactions. Calculated data agree well with the experiment.     

Oxidations by the system ‘hydrogen peroxide-[Mn2L2O3][PF6]2 (L=1,4,7-trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane)-carboxylic acid’. Part 10: Co-catalytic effect of different carboxylic acids in the oxidation of cyclohexane, cyclohexanol, and acetone

Hydrogen peroxide oxidation of cyclohexane in acetonitrile solution catalyzed by the dinuclear manganese(IV) complex [LMn(O)₃MnL](PF₆)₂ (L=1,4,7-trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane, TMTACN) at 25 °C in the presence of a carboxylic acid affords cyclohexyl hydroperoxide as well as cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol. A kinetic study of the reactions with participation of three acids (acetic acid, oxalic acid, and pyrazine-2,3-dicarboxylic acid, 2,3-PDCA) led to the following general scheme. In the first stage, the catalyst precursor forms an adduct. The equilibrium constants K₁ calculated for acetic acid, oxalic acid, and 2,3-PDCA were 127±8, (7±2)×10⁴, and 1250±50 M⁻¹, respectively. The same kinetic scheme was applied for the cyclohexanol oxidation catalyzed by the complex in the presence of oxalic acid. The oxidation of cyclohexane in water solution using oxalic acid as a co-catalyst gave cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone, which were rapidly transformed into a mixture of over-oxidation products. In the oxidation of cyclohexanol to cyclohexanone, varying the concentrations of the reactants and the reaction time we were able to find optimal conditions and to obtain the cyclohexanone in 94% yield based on the starting cyclohexanol. Oxidation of acetone to acetic acid by the system containing oxalic acid was also studied.     

Glyoxal-promoted homogeneous catalytic oxygenation of cyclohexane with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of V and Co compounds

The efficiency of cyclohexane oxidation with hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by vanadyl acetylacetonate at 40 °C and atmospheric pressure is enhanced by glyoxal additive. The process selectively produces a mixture of cyclohexyl hydroperoxide, cyclohexanol, and cyclohexanone with a high rate (up to 4400 catalyst turnover number). Cobalt(II) acetylacetonate is much less active but more selective with respect to cyclohexyl hydroperoxide.__________Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 2, pp. 307–310, February, 2005.     

Mechanism of the selective formation of cyclohexanone in the decomposition of cyclohexyl hydroperoxide by chromium stearate

From a comparison of the rates of formation of cyclohexanone and 2-decanone in cyclohexane solutions of cyclohexyl hydroperoxide or tert-butyl-hydroperoxide in the presence of chromium(III) stearate and a mixture of cyclohexanol and 2-decanol in an atmosphere of argon at 350 K, it is concluded that the direct breakdown of cyclohexyl hydroperoxide by chromium stearate leads to selective formation of cyclohexanone. The contribution of the oxidation of cyclohexanol to ketone formation at a cyclohexanol concentration comparable with the hydroperoxide concentration (0.1 M) is 10%.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 2239–2242, October, 1991.     

Benign homogeneous catalytic oxidation of cyclohexane promoted with glyoxal

Evidence of the promoted effect of dialdehyde (glyoxal) in VO(acac)₂- and Co(acac)₂-catalyzed oxidations of cyclohexane by H₂O₂ under ambient conditions is reported. The V-process leads to a mixture of cyclohexanone, cyclohexanol, and cyclohexyl hydroperoxide and TON up to 4400. The Co-process is much less active but leads selectively to cyclohexyl hydroperoxide. Glyoxal significantly accelerates the process rate and enhances the yield of desired products. Published in Russian in Kinetika i Kataliz, 2007, Vol. 48, No. 1, pp. 32–37. This article was submitted by the authors in English.     

无溶剂体系中非均相催化剂催化环己烷氧化反应研究

本文合成了苯乙烯-马来酸酐共聚物(SMA)桥联N-羟基邻苯二甲酰亚胺(NHPI)和Co/ZSM-5两种非均相催化剂, 用FT-IR、 XRD进行了结构表征. 考察了这两种非均相催化剂在无溶剂体系中对环己烷的催化氧化行为, 并对各反应因素的影响进行了研究. 结果表明: 在最佳反应条件下, 环己烷的转化率可达26.8%, 此时KA油、己二酸和环己基过氧化氢的选择性分别为71.6%、 10.9% 和2.6%. 在测试温度范围内, 反应速率常数Ka 和反应温度之间存在Arrhenius关系, 相关系数是0.9878, 数学表达式为lnKa = -3012/ T+ 1.279. 催化剂的稳定性研究显示两种非均相催化剂都具有很高的热力学稳定性, 可以重复使用五次.     

Effect of Quinones on the Cobalt(II) Acetate–Catalyzed Mild Oxidation of Cyclohexane with Hydrogen Peroxide in Acetic Acid

The effects of free-radical reaction inhibitors (InH), hydroquinone (HQ) and quinone (Q), on the oxidation of cyclohexane catalyzed by cobalt(II) acetate Co(OAc)₂ · 4H₂O and on the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide in acetic acid (HOAc) at 303 K were studied. It was found that an increase in the concentration of HQ in the starting reaction mixture containing cyclohexane, the catalyst, and H₂O₂ dissolved in HOAc resulted in an exponential decrease in the yields of the target products of oxidation: cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone, and cyclohexyl hydroperoxide. In the presence of Q, the dependence of the yield of the target products on the initial inhibitor concentration exhibited a maximum at (1.8–2.5) × 10^–2 M Q. At (2.2–2.4) × 10^–2 M Q concentrations, the yield of the target products was 55–60% of that in an uninhibited process. Based on kinetic, spectrometric, and quantum-chemical data, the effect found was explained by the fact that under the experimental conditions highly active hydroxyl derivatives of radicals rather than a hydroxy quinolide hydroperoxide (the homolysis of which can produce species with a free valence, which are capable of initiating free-radical reactions) were largely formed from Q.     

分子筛负载席夫碱钴配合物的制备及其催化氧气氧化环己烷

采用柔性配位法将双水杨醛叉乙二胺合钴(Cosalen)封装到了NaY分子筛的超笼中,采用FT-IR,UV-Vis,XRD,TG/DTA 和 BET比表面积及孔容分析对负载型配合物(Cosalen-NaY)进行了表征.在催化氧气氧化环己烷的反应过程中,Cosalen-NaY能有效地促进环己基过氧化物的分解,在0.85 MPa的氧压下,150 ℃反应3 h,环己烷的转化率达到13.4%,在反应体系中加入乙腈作溶剂,130 ℃下进行反应,环己烷的转化率提高到{28.3%.产物中环己醇、环己酮、己二酸的选择性明显高于Cosalen为催化剂的反应.催化剂回收实验表明Cosalen-NaY经过三次重复使用后,没有显著的活性组分流失,可以重复使用.     

Oxidation of Cyclohexane by Molecular Oxygen Photoassisted by meso-Tetraarylporphyrin Iron(III)-Hydroxo Complexes

The photochemical and photocatalytic properties of iron meso-tetraarylporphyrins bearing an OH(-) axial ligand and different substituents in the beta-positions of the porphyrin ring are reported. Irradiation (lambda = 365 nm) in the absence of dioxygen leads to the reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II) with the formation of OH(*) radicals. Substituents at the pyrrole beta-positions are found to markedly affect the photoreduction quantum yields. Under aerobic conditions, this photoreaction can induce the subsequent oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol by O(2) itself. The process occurs under mild conditions (22 degrees C; 760 Torr of O(2)) and without the consumption of a reducing agent. The polarity of the solvent and the nature of the porphyrin ring have a remarkable effect on the selectivity of the photooxidation process, likely controlling the cleavage of O-O bonds of possible iron peroxoalkyl intermediates. In particular, in pure cyclohexane, oxidation occurs with the selective formation of cyclohexanone; in contrast, in dichloromethane/cyclohexane mixed solvent, the main oxidation product is cyclohexanol. Phenyl-tert-butylnitrone (pbn) has been found to quench the radical chain autooxidation of the substrate thus increasing the yield of cyclohexanol. This becomes the only oxidation product when iron 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(2,6-dichlorophenyl)porphyrin hydroxide (Fe(III)(TDCPP)(OH)) is used as photocatalyst.     

Increasing the ketone selectivity of the cobalt-catalyzed radical chain oxidation of cyclohexane

A variety of heterogeneous catalysts for the radical chain oxidation of cyclohexane has been prepared by immobilization of the well-defined cobalt acetate oligomers [py(3)Co(3)(mu(3)-O)(OH)(O(2)CCH(3))(5)](PF(6)) (1) and [py(4)Co(2)(OH)(2)(O(2)CCH(3))(3)](PF(6)) (2) on carboxy-modified mesoporous silica supports A-D by carboxylate exchange. The catalytic oxidation of cyclohexane with tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) in the presence of these homogeneous and immobilized cobalt acetate complexes afforded the corresponding alcohol and ketone in high yield. The immobilization of 1 and 2 results in a significant increase of catalytic activity. TBHP acts as a radical initiator and as source of molecular oxygen, which is also involved in the overall oxidation process. The rate of cyclohexane conversion is limited by the diffusion of molecular oxygen, and steady-state concentrations of cyclohexanone (K, ketone) and cyclohexanol (A, alcohol) are established; these determine the maximum K:A ratio.     

The formation of byproducts in the autoxidation of cyclohexane

In this work, a complementary experimental and theoretical approach is used to unravel the formation of byproducts in the autoxidation of cyclohexane. The widely accepted vision that cyclohexanone would be the most important precursor of undesired products was found inconsistent with several experimental observations. However, the propagation reaction of cyclohexyl hydroperoxide, which we recently put forward as the missing source of cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone, is now unambiguously identified also as the dominant path leading to byproducts. Indeed, this overlooked reaction produces large amounts of cyclohexoxy radicals, able to ring-open via a beta-C--C cleavage to omega-formyl radicals. The pathway by which these radicals are converted into the observed and quantified byproducts is derived in this work. In this liquid-phase reaction, solvent cages were found very important, steering the fate of nascent species.     

To the core of autocatalysis in cyclohexane autoxidation

Despite their industrial importance, the detailed reaction mechanism of autoxidation reactions is still insufficiently known. In this work, complementary experimental and theoretical techniques are employed to address the radical-chain initiation in the autoxidation of cyclohexane with a particular focus on the "lighting-off" of the oxidation by (added) cyclohexanone. We used a newly developed method to quantify the intrinsic rate of chain initiation as well as the rate enhancement by cyclohexanone and several other (oxygenated) molecules. On the basis of first principles, the hitherto assumed perhemiketale mechanism was found to be many orders of magnitude too slow to account for the observed initiation enhancement by the ketone. Instead, it is shown that the pronounced chain-initiation enhancement by the ketone is attributable to a newly proposed concerted reaction between cyclohexyl hydroperoxide and cyclohexanone, in which the (.)OH radical breaking away from the hydroperoxide abstracts an alphaH atom from the ketone, thereby energetically assisting in the cleavage of the RO--OH bond. This reaction is highly efficient in generating radicals as it quasi-excludes geminate in-cage recombination. As a result, the ketone oxidation product at a level of 1 mol % increases the initiation rate by one order of magnitude, and so acts as a highly efficient "autocatalyst" in autoxidation reactions. An analogous reaction with cyclohexanol, although estimated to be even faster, has only a marginal effect on the overall kinetics, owing to the fast subsequent formation of HO(2) (.) radicals that very rapidly terminate with other ROO(.) radicals. Finally, solid evidence is presented that, also in absence of oxygenates, ROOH initiation is actually a bimolecular reaction, involving concerted H abstraction from the alkane substrate by the nascent (.)OH.     

三氯化钌催化下环己烷和环己醇在离子液体中的氧化反应研究

在三氯化钌催化下,使用叔丁基过氧化氢在离子液体中可将环己烷和环己醇氧化为环己酮,结果表明环己醇的氧化具有较高的转化率和选择性．离子液体(bmim)^ PF6^-和催化剂三氯化钌均有一定的重复使用性．     

Origin of byproducts during the catalytic autoxidation of cyclohexane

The formation of byproducts during the Co(acac)2 and Cr(acac)3-catalyzed cyclohexane autoxidation is compared with the noncatalyzed thermal process. CoII ions seem to cause only a moderate perturbation of the reaction mechanism, causing a fast conversion of the cyclohexyl hydroperoxide via a redox cycle, rather than via abstraction of the alphaH-atom by chain carrying peroxyl radicals. Nevertheless, both the radical propagation and the CoII-induced decomposition of the hydroperoxide cause the formation of cyclohexoxy radicals that are partially transformed to 6-hydroxyhexanoic acid, the major primary byproduct for these systems. However, during the CoII-catalyzed reaction, the concentration of cyclohexanone increases much faster than that of the hydroperoxide, causing the ketone to take over the role of dominant byproduct source. A mechanism for the conversion of cyclohexanone to ring-opened byproducts is put forward. Cr(acac)3 seems to catalyze additional reactions, some of them probably leading directly to byproducts. Indeed, the evolution of (by)products is significantly different from the CoII-catalyzed and the thermal systems, in the sense that they all seem to be primary in origin.     

Initiating ability of the peroxyacetates of secondary hydroperoxides

The kinetics of ethylbenzene oxidation in the presence of acetic anhydride, the kinetics of acetic anhydride reaction with cyclohexyl hydroperoxide, and the composition of the products of the above reactions were studied in order to evaluate the initiating abilities of 1-phenylethyl and cyclohexyl peroxyacetates generated in situ and to determine the directions of reactions. Anhydride additives significantly accelerated the oxidation of ethylbenzene and the degradation of cyclohexyl hydroperoxide with the predominant formation of corresponding ketones. It was found that the acceleration of ethylbenzene oxidation was due to the homolytic degradation of a peroxy ester, which results in the formation of methyl phenyl carbinol and benzaldehyde (ethylbenzene) or cyclohexanol (cyclohexyl hydroperoxide). The importance of the homolytic degradation of peroxy esters was evaluated using a mixed-initiation method (ethylbenzene) or by measuring the consumption of an inhibitor (cyclohexyl hydroperoxide).Translated from Kinetika i Kataliz, Vol. 45, No. 6, 2004, pp. 808–813.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2004 by Nosacheva, Voronina, Perkel.     

Enhanced activity and selectivity in cyclohexane autoxidation by inert H-bond acceptor catalysts.

Herein, we demonstrate that the chain-initiating dissociation of cyclohexyl hydroperoxide, CyOOH, is substantially accelerated by H-bond acceptors (e.g. Teflon), which assist O-O bond breaking by stabilising the leaving *OH radical. This is a completely new approach to boost the chain-propagating radical concentration. Indeed, up to now, literature has remained focussed on transition metal catalysis. In addition to this initiation effect, we demonstrate how inert perfluorinated compounds are also able to steer the selectivity at the molecular level, by promoting the conversion of the intermediate cyclohexyl hydroperoxide to the most desired end-product, cyclohexanone. This effect is explained by an enhanced, H-bond-assisted, hydroperoxide propagation. This hitherto overlooked hydroperoxide propagation was recently presented by us as the dominant cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol source. We herein thus confirm our previously reported autoxidation scheme, and illustrate its usefulness as a solid basis for designing new catalytic systems.     

附加试剂及反应介质对TPPFeCl催化环己烷仿生氧化反应性能的影响

研究了某些附加试剂及反应介质对四苯基卟吩合铁(Ⅲ)[TPPFeCl或(TPPFe)₂O]模拟细胞色素P-450催化PhIO羟化环己烷反应的影响。发现适量的异丙醇、吡啶及NaOH能促进反应,加入盐酸及增大介质的极性对反应不利。证明了副产物环己酮主要是由PhIO直接氧化主产物环己醇生成的,TPPFeCl的存在不利于酮的生成,醇的存在能延长催化剂的寿命。     

Autoxidation of ethylbenzene: the mechanism elucidated

Using a combined experimental and theoretical approach, we elucidated the mechanism of ethylbenzene autoxidation, at about 420 K. The generally accepted literature mechanism indeed fails to explain basic experimental observations, such as the high ketone to alcohol ratio. The hitherto overlooked propagation of 1-phenyl-ethylhydroperoxide, the primary chain product, is now unambiguously identified as the source of acetophenone as well as of 1-phenylethanol via a subsequent activated cage reaction. A similar mechanism allowed rationalizing of the cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol formation in the autoxidation of cyclohexane. The primary hydroperoxide product is found to react about 10 times faster than the arylalkane substrate with the chain carrying peroxyl radicals, whereas in cyclohexane autoxidation, this reactivity ratio is as high as 55. In combination with a lower efficiency of the above-mentioned cage reaction, this results in a rather high 1-phenyl-ethylhydroperoxide yield and causes a high ketone/alcohol ratio. Radicals are shown to be predominantly generated via a concerted bimolecular reaction of the hydroperoxide with the arylalkane substrate, producing alkyl and hydrated alkoxy free radicals. In this autoxidation system, no reaction product exhibits a major initiation-enhancing autocatalytic effect, as is the case with cyclohexanone in cyclohexane autoxidation. As a result, the conversion rate increases less sharply in time compared to cyclohexane autoxidation. In fact, even some slight inhibition can be observed, due to the formation of chain-terminating HO2* radicals in the alcohol co-oxidation. At 418 K, the chain length is estimated to be about 300-500 for conversions up to 10%.