Oxidation of alkanes by dioxygen catalysed by photoactivated iron porphyrins

Abstract

Cycloalkanes were oxidized by O₂ itself under mild conditions (22 °C; 200 Torr of O₂) in the presence of catalytic amounts of a polyhalogenated porphyrin–iron(III)—hydroxo complex irradiated with light of wavelength between 350 and 450 nm; these oxidations occurred without consumption of a reducing agent, selectively transformed cyclohexane into cyclohexanone under appropriate conditions (about 0. 2 turnover per min), and did not involve Fe^VO active species but, more probably, iron-alkylperoxo intermediates.