Manganese(II) based oxidation of alkanes: generation of a high valent binuclear catalyst in situ

Abstract

The efficiently Mn²⁺-catalysed oxidation of saturated hydrocarbons by alkylhydroperoxides or iodosylbenzene in the presence of 2,2′-bipyridine in acetonitrile follows the following pathway: Mn²⁺+ bipy →[Mn(bipy)₃]²⁺→[Mn₂O₂(bipy)₄]³⁺, the latter being identified as the catalytic species; it affords cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone in equal amounts and the remarkable robustness of the active complex, under oxidative conditions, is noted.