Kinetics and mechanism of the oxidation of arenes in the presence of heteropoly acids and palladium(II) complexes supported on silica gel

Pd(II) complexes and twelfth-series heteropoly acids (HPA) H₉[PMo₆V₆O₄₀] and H₃[PMo₁₂O₄₀] supported on silica gel oxidize benzene and toluene at 95°C. The formation of methyldiphenylmethane in the oxidation of toluene on HPA/SiO₂ and (PdCl₂−HPA)/SiO₂ catalysts, KIE>1 for the toluene/toluene-d₈ pair, and greater rate for toluene than for benzene are in accord with a one-electron transfer mechanism. L. M. Litvinenko Institute of Physical Organic and Coal Chemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 70 R. Lyuksemburg ul., Donetsk 340114, Ukraine. Translated from Teoreticheskaya i éksperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 35, No. 4, pp. 249–252, July–August, 1999.