Biomimetic Oxidation Studies. 11. Alkane Functionalization in Aqueous Solution Utilizing in Situ Formed [Fe(2)O(eta(1)-H(2)O)(eta(1)-OAc)(TPA)(2)](3+), as an MMO Model Precatalyst, Embedded in Surface-Derivatized Silica and Contained in Micelles

Karine Neimann; Ronny Neumann; Alain Rabion; Robert M. Buchanan; Richard H. Fish

doi:10.1021/ic990155b

Biomimetic Oxidation Studies. 11. Alkane Functionalization in Aqueous Solution Utilizing in Situ Formed [Fe(2)O(eta(1)-H(2)O)(eta(1)-OAc)(TPA)(2)](3+), as an MMO Model Precatalyst, Embedded in Surface-Derivatized Silica and Contained in Micelles

Inorg Chem. 1999 Jul 26;38(15):3575-3580. doi: 10.1021/ic990155b.

Authors

Karine Neimann¹, Ronny Neumann, Alain Rabion, Robert M. Buchanan, Richard H. Fish

Affiliation

¹ Casali Institute of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Applied Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel 91904, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California, 94720, Groupement de recherche de Lacq, BP 34, 64170 Artix, France, and Department of Chemistry, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 40292.

PMID: 11671107
DOI: 10.1021/ic990155b

Abstract

The biomimetic, methane monooxygenase enzyme (MMO) precatalyst, [Fe(2)O(eta(1)-H(2)O)(eta(1)-OAc)(TPA)(2)](3+) (TPA = tris[(2-pyridyl)methyl]amine), 1, formed in situ at pH 4.2 from [Fe(2)O(&mgr;-OAc)(TPA)(2)](3+), 2, was embedded in an amorphous silicate surface modified by a combination of hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide) and hydrophobic poly(propylene oxide). The resulting catalytic assembly was found to be a biomimetic model for the MMO active site within a hydrophobic macroenvironment, allowing alkane functionalization with tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP)/O(2) in an aqueous reaction medium (pH 4.2). For example, cyclohexane was oxidized to a mixture of cyclohexanone, cyclohexanol, and cyclohexyl-tert-butyl peroxide, in a ratio of approximately 3:1:2. The balance between poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(propylene oxide), tethered on the silica surface, was crucial for maximizing the catalytic activity. The silica-based catalytic assembly showed reactivity somewhat higher in comparison to an aqueous micelle system utilizing the surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium hydrogen sulfate at its critical micelle concentration, in which functionalization of cyclohexane with TBHP/O(2) in the presence of 1 was also studied at pH 4.2 and was found to provide similar products: cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone, and cyclohexyl-tert-butyl peroxide, in a ratio of approximately 2:3:1. Moreover, the mechanism for both the silica-based catalytic assembly and the aqueous micelle system was found to occur via the Haber-Weiss process, in which redox chemistry between 1 and TBHP provides both the t-BuO(*)() and t-BuOO(*)()( )()radicals. The t-BuO(*)()( )()radical initiates the C-H functionalization reaction to form the carbon radical, followed by O(2) trapping, to provide cyclohexyl hydroperoxide, which produces the cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone in the presence of 1, whereas the coupling product emanates from t-BuOO(*)() and cyclohexyl radicals. A discussion concerning both approaches for alkane functionalization in water will be presented.