Novel supramolecular network in tri- and mono-nuclear oxovanadium(V)-salicyl-hydroximate: Synthesis,structure and catalytic oxidation of hydrocarbons using H2O2 as terminal oxidant

Two oxovanadium(V) salicylhydroximate complexes, VO(SHA)(H₂O)] · 1.58H₂O (1) and V₃O₃(CSHA)₃(H₂O)₃] · 3CH₃COCH₃ (2) have been synthesized by reaction of VO₄³⁻ with N-salicyl hydroxamic acid (SHAH₃) and N-(5-chlorosalicyl) hydroxamic acid (CSHAH₃), respectively, in methanol medium. Compound 1 on reaction with pyridine 2,6-dicarboxylic acid (PyDCH₂) yields mononuclear complex VO(SHAH₂)(PyDC)] (3). Treatment of compound 3 with hydrogen peroxide at low pH (2-3) and low temperature (0–5 °C) yields a stable oxoperoxovanadium(V) complex HVO(O₂)(PyDC)(H₂O)] · 2.5H₂O (4). All four complexes (1–4) have been characterized by spectroscopic (IR, UV–Vis, ⁵¹V NMR) and single crystal X-ray analyses. Intermolecular hydrogen bonds link complex 1 into hexanuclear clusters consisting of six {VNO₅} octahedra surrounded by twelve {VNO₅} octahedra to form an annular ring. While the molecular packing in 2 generates a two-dimensional framework hydrogen bonds involving the solvent acetone molecules, the mononuclear complexes 3 and 4 exhibit three-dimensional supramolecular architecture. The compounds 1 and 2 behave as good catalysts for oxygenation of benzylic, aromatic, carbocyclic and aliphatic hydrocarbons to their corresponding hydroxylated and oxygenated products using H₂O₂ as terminal oxidant; the process affords very good yield and turnover number. The catalysis work shows that cyclohexane is a very easily oxidizable substrate giving the highest turnover number (TON) while n-hexane and n-heptane show limited yield, longer time involvement and lesser TON than other hydrocarbons.