The stoichiometric and catalytic oxidation of various substrates with a novel macrocyclic binuclear copper(I) dioxygen complex as an intermediate

Abstract

The stoichiometric oxidations of hydroquinones, phenols, 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol and 3,4-dimethylaniline with a macrocyclic Cu^I dioxygen complex and with a Cu^II complex show that in some cases the substrate is oxidized both by the Cu^I dioxygen complex and by the corresponding Cu^II complex, while in other cases the Cu^II complex shows no activity; the combination of the Cu^I dioxygen complex and the Cu^II complex as oxidants results in catalytic oxidation of the substrate, but no catalysis is observed when only the Cu^I dioxygen complex is active.