Kinetics and mechanism of (salen)MnIII-catalysed oxidation of organic sulfides with sodium hypochlorite

Kinetics of chromium(V)-oxo and chromium(IV)-oxo porphyrins: Reactivity and mechanism for sulfoxidation reactions

In this work, chromium(IV)-oxo porphyrins [Cr^IV(Por)(O)] (2) (Por = porphyrin) were produced either by oxidation of [Cr^III(Por)Cl] (1) with iodobenzene diacetate or visible light photolysis of porphyrin‑chromium(III) chlorates. Subsequent oxidation of 2 with silver perchlorate gave chromium(V)-oxo porphyrins [Cr^V(Por)(O)](ClO₄) (3) in three porphyrin ligands, including 5,10,15,20-tetramesitylporphyrin(TMP, a), 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(2,6-difluorophenyl)porphyrin(TDFPP, b), and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin (TPFPP, c). Complexes 2 and 3 reacted with thioanisoles to produce the corresponding sulfoxides, and their kinetics of sulfoxidation reactions with a series of aryl methyl sulfides(thioanisoles) were studied in organic solutions. Chromium(V)-oxo porphyrins are several orders of magnitudes more reactive than chromium(IV)-oxo species, and representative second-order rate constants (k_ox) for the oxidation of thioansole are (0.40 ± 0.01) M^-1 s^-1 (3a), and (2.82 ± 0.20) × 10² M^-1 s^-1 (3b), and (2.20 ± 0.01) × 10³ M^-1 s^-1 (3c). The order of reactivity for 2 and 3 follows TPFPP > TDFPP > TMP, in agreement with the electrophilic nature of metal-oxo complexes. Hammett analyses indicate significant charge transfer in the transition states for oxidation of para-substituted thioanisoles by [Cr^V(Por)(O)]⁺. The ρ⁺ constants are -1.69 for 3a, -2.63 for 3b, and - 2.89 for 3c, respectively, mirror values found previously for related metal-oxo species. A mechanism involving the electrophilic attack of the Cr^V-oxo at sulfides to form a sulfur cation intermediate in the rate-determining step is suggested. Competition studies with chromium(III) porphyrin chloride and PhI(OAc)₂ gave relative rate constants for oxidations of competing thioanisoles that closely match ratios of absolute rate constants from chromium(V)-oxo species, which are true oxidants under catalytic conditions.

The reactivity–selectivity principle in the oxidation of aryl methyl sulfides with sodium hypochlorite catalysed by (salen)MnIII complexes

The kinetics of oxygen atom transfer from four oxo(salen)manganese(V) complexes to various para-substituted phenyl methyl sulfides have been studied spectrophotometrically in 90% acetonitrile-10% water(v/v) at 20oC. Electron-releasing substituents in sulfides and electron-withdrawing substituents in oxo(salen)manganese(V) complexes enhance the rate of oxidation. Correlation analyses establish that there is an inverse relationship between reactivity and selectivity in both the sulfide and the complex series. Mathematical treatment of the results shows the operation of a valid reactivity-selectivity principle in this redox system.

Electrophilic and nucleophilic pathways in ligand oxide mediated reactions of phenylsulfinylacetic acids with oxo(salen)chromium(V) complexes

The mechanism of oxidative decarboxylation of phenylsulfinylacetic acids (PSAA) by oxo(salen)Cr(V)+ ion in the presence of ligand oxides has been studied spectrophotometrically in acetonitrile medium. Addition of ligand oxides (LO) causes a red shift in the λ max values of oxo(salen) complexes and an increase in absorbance with the concentration of LO along with a clear isobestic point. The reaction shows first-order dependence on oxo(salen)-chromium(V)+ ion and fractional-order dependence on PSAA and ligand oxide. Michaelis-Menten kinetics without kinetic saturation was observed for the reaction. The order of reactivity among the ligand oxides is picoline N-oxide > pyridine N-oxide > triphenylphosphine oxide. The low catalytic activity of TPPO was rationalized. Both electron-withdrawing and electron-donating substituents in the phenyl ring of PSAA facilitate the reaction rate. The Hammett plots are non-linear upward type with negative ρ value for electron-donating substituents, (ρ - = -0.740 to -4.10) and positive ρ value for electron-withdrawing substituents (ρ + = +0.057 to +0.886). Non-linear Hammett plot is explained by two possible mechanistic scenarios, electrophilic and nucleophilic attack of oxo(salen)chromium(V)+-LO adduct on PSAA as the substituent in PSAA is changed from electron-donating to electron-withdrawing. The linearity in the log k vs. E ox plot confirms single-electron transfer (SET) mechanism for PSAAs with electron-donating substituents.