Mechanistic insight into aerobic alcohol oxidation using NOx-nitroxide catalysis based on catalyst structure-activity relationships

J Org Chem. 2014 Nov 7;79(21):10256-68. doi: 10.1021/jo501862k. Epub 2014 Oct 17.

Abstract

The mechanism of an NOx-assisted, nitroxide(nitroxyl radical)-catalyzed aerobic oxidation of alcohols was investigated using a set of sterically and electronically modified nitroxides (i.e., TEMPO, AZADO (1), 5-F-AZADO (2), 5,7-DiF-AZADO (3), 5-MeO-AZADO (4), 5,7-DiMeO-AZADO (5), oxa-AZADO (6), TsN-AZADO (7), and DiAZADO (8)). The motivation for the present study stemmed from our previous observation that the introduction of an F atom at a remote position from the nitroxyl radical moiety on the azaadamantane nucleus effectively enhanced the catalytic activity under typical NOx-mediated aerobic-oxidation conditions. The kinetic profiles of the azaadamantane-N-oxyl-[AZADO (1)-, 5-F-AZADO (2)-, and 5,7-DiF-AZADO (3)]-catalyzed aerobic oxidations were closely investigated, revealing that AZADO (1) showed a high initial reaction rate compared to 5-F-AZADO (2) and 5,7-DiF-AZADO (3); however, AZADO-catalyzed oxidation exhibited a marked slowdown, resulting in ∼90% conversion, whereas 5-F-AZADO-catalyzed oxidation smoothly reached completion without a marked slowdown. The reasons for the marked slowdown and the role of the fluoro group are discussed. Oxa-AZADO (6), TsN-AZADO (7), and DiAZADO (8) were designed and synthesized to confirm their comparable catalytic efficiency to that of 5-F-AZADO (2), providing supporting evidence for the electronic effect on the catalytic efficiency of the heteroatoms under NOx-assisted aerobic-oxidation conditions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adamantane / analogs & derivatives*
  • Adamantane / chemical synthesis*
  • Adamantane / chemistry
  • Alcohols / chemistry*
  • Catalysis
  • Cyclic N-Oxides / chemical synthesis
  • Cyclic N-Oxides / chemistry*
  • Kinetics
  • Molecular Structure
  • Nitrogen Oxides / chemistry*
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • 2-azaadamantane N-oxyl
  • Alcohols
  • Cyclic N-Oxides
  • Nitrogen Oxides
  • nitroxyl
  • Adamantane