Oxidation of ethane and propane with cobalt(II) catalyst: unexpected formation of 1,2-diol esters and C–C bond cleavage
Abstract
Ethane reacts with both cobalt(III) and O2–cobalt(II) in trifluoroacetic acid solution to form ethyl trifluoroacetate and 1,2-bistrifluoroacetoxyethane in successive reactions, along with the products of C–C bond cleavage; propane undergoes similar oxidative reactions.