Oxygenation of substituted 2′-hydroxyacetophenone 4-bromophenylhydrazones promoted by cobalt(II) schiff base complex

Substituted 2′-hydroxyacetophenone 4-bromophenylhydrazones are oxygenated readily in the presence of Co(Salpr) in ethanol to give 2-(4-bromophenylazo)-1,3-benzodioxoles in good yield. The results are rationalized in terms of the decomposition of a peroxy cobalt(III) complex intermediate by a mechanism similar to the Darkin oxidation.