Cobalt-Catalyzed Acceptorless Dehydrogenation of Alcohols to Carboxylate Salts and Hydrogen

Half-Sandwich Iridium Complexes: A Recyclable and Stable Catalyst for Dehydrogenation of Alcohols to Carboxylic Acids

A series of acylhydrazone-based N,N-chelate half-sandwich iridium complexes have been synthesized through a facile route in good yields. The dehydrogenation of a series of aromatic and aliphatic primary alcohols to corresponding carboxylic acids has been accomplished catalyzed by the prepared air stable iridium complexes under mild reaction conditions. Carboxylic acids were obtained in high yields under open flask condition with broad substrates and good tolerance to sensitive functional groups. Such a half-sandwich iridium catalyst system exhibited high catalytic activity and stability, and a high TOF of 316.7 h-1 could be achieved with a catalyst loading as low as 0.05 mol %. Furthermore, the sustainable catalyst could be reused at least five times without obviously losing its activity, highlighting its potential application in industry. Molecular structure of iridium complex 1 was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray analysis.

Designing Cobalt(II) Complexes for Tandem Dehydrogenative Synthesis of Quinoline and Quinazoline Derivatives

In this work, we have constructed three new Co(II) complexes in which steric features govern their structural geometry. The metal ligand-cooperation behavior of the alkoxy arm is utilized to explore the catalytic activities of these complexes with respect to dehydrogenation. A wide range of C-3-substituted quinoline and quinazoline derivatives were synthesized in high yields. The developed protocol's usefulness is enhanced by the chemoselective transformation of different fatty alcohols to synthesize heterocycles having distal unsaturation. Various kinetic, mechanistic, and control studies were conducted to comprehend the reaction route.

Oxidations of Alcohols, Aldehydes, and Diols Using NaBr and Selectfluor

We present protocols for the oxidation of alcohols and aldehydes and for the oxidative cyclization of diols which use a combination of Selectfluor and NaBr. For most substrates, the optimal solvent system is a 1:1 mixture of CH3CN/H2O, but, in select cases, biphasic 1:1 mixtures of EtOAc/H2O or CH2Cl2/H2O are superior. This procedure is operationally simple, uses inexpensive and readily available reagents, and tolerates a variety of functional groups. Mechanistic studies suggest that the active oxidant is hypobromous acid, generated by the almost instantaneous oxidation of Br- by Selectfluor in an aqueous milieu.

Cobalt-catalysed [1,2]-Wittig rearrangement of ethers to secondary alcohols

Stable ethers are successfully transformed into secondary alcohols via C-O bond activation using a simple cobalt pincer catalyst. Mechanistic studies indicate the involvement of radical pairs, and their sequential recombination and the subsequent hydrolysis results in the formation of secondary alcohols.

Oxidation of Organic Compounds Using Water as the Oxidant with H2 Liberation Catalyzed by Molecular Metal Complexes

Oxidation reactions of organic compounds play a central role in both industrial chemical and material synthesis as well as in fine chemical and pharmaceutical synthesis. While traditional laboratory-scale oxidative syntheses have relied on the use of strong oxidizers, modern large-scale oxidation processes preferentially utilize air or pure O₂ as an oxidant, with other oxidants such as hydrogen peroxide, nitric acid, and aqueous chlorine solution also being used in some processes. The use of molecular oxygen or air as an oxidant has been very attractive in recent decades because of the abundance of air and the lack of wasteful byproduct generation. Nevertheless, the use of high-pressure air or, in particular, pure oxygen can lead to serious safety concerns with improper handling and also necessitates the use of sophisticated high-pressure reactors for the processes.Several research groups, including ours, have investigated in recent times the possibility of carrying out catalytic oxidation reactions using water as the formal oxidant, with no added conventional oxidants. Along with the abundant availability of water, these processes also generate dihydrogen gas as the reaction coproduct, which is a highly valuable fuel. Several well-defined molecular metal complexes have been reported in recent years to catalyze these unusual oxidative reactions with water. A ruthenium bipyridine-based PNN pincer complex was reported by us to catalyze the oxidation of primary alcohols to carboxylate salts with alkaline water along with H₂ liberation, followed by reports by other groups using other complexes as catalysts. At the same time, ruthenium-, iridium-, and rhodium-based complexes have been reported to catalyze aldehyde oxidation to carboxylic acids using water. Our group has combined the catalytic aqueous alcohol and aldehyde oxidation activity of a ruthenium complex to achieve the oxidation of biomass-derived renewable aldehydes such as furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to furoic acid and furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), respectively, using alkaline water as the oxidant, liberating H₂. Ruthenium complexes with an acridine-based PNP ligand have also been employed by our group for the catalytic oxidation of amines to the corresponding lactams, or to carboxylic acids via a deaminative route, using water. Similarly, we also reported molecular complexes for the catalytic Markovnikov oxidation of alkenes to ketones using water, similar to Wacker-type oxidation, which, however, does not require any terminal oxidant and produces H₂ as the coproduct. At the same time, the oxidation of enol ethers to the corresponding esters with water has also been reported. This account will highlight these recent advances where water was used as an oxidant to carry out selective oxidation reactions of organic compounds, catalyzed by well-defined molecular complexes, with H₂ liberation. The oxidation of alcohols, aldehydes, amines, alkenes, and enol ethers will be discussed to provide an outlook toward other functional groups' oxidation. We hope that this will aid researchers in devising other oxidative dehydrogenative catalytic systems using water, complementing traditional oxidative processes involving strong oxidants and molecular oxygen.

Activation of H-H, HO-H, C(sp2)-H, C(sp3)-H, and RO-H Bonds by Transition-Metal Frustrated Lewis Pairs Based on M/N (M = Rh, Ir) Couples

Reaction of the dimers [(Cp*MCl)₂(μ-Cl)₂] (Cp* = η⁵-C₅Me₅) with Ph₂PCH₂CH₂NC(NH(p-Tolyl))₂ (H₂L) in the presence of NaSbF₆ affords the chlorido complexes [Cp*MCl(κ²N,P-H₂L)][SbF₆] (M = Rh, 1; Ir, 2). Upon treatment with aqueous NaOH, solutions of 1 and 2 yield the corresponding complexes [Cp*M(κ³N,N′,P-HL)][SbF₆] (M = Rh, 3; Ir, 4) in which the ligand HL presents a fac κ³N,N′,P coordination mode. Treatment of THF solutions of complexes 3 and 4 with hydrogen gas, at room temperature, results in the formation of the metal hydrido-complexes [Cp*MH(κ²N,P-H₂L)][SbF₆] (M = Rh, 5; Ir, 6) in which the N(p-Tolyl) group has been protonated. Complexes 3 and 4 react with deuterated water in a reversible fashion resulting in the gradual deuteration of the Cp* group. Heating at 383 K THF/H₂O solutions of the complexes 3 and 4 affords the orthometalated complexes [Cp*M(κ³C,N,P-H₂L_-H)][SbF₆] [M = Rh, 7; Ir, 8, H₂L_-H = Ph₂PCH₂CH₂NC(NH(p-Tolyl))(NH(4-C₆H₃Me))], respectively. At 333 K, complexes 3 and 4 react in THF with methanol, primary alcohols, or 2-propanol giving the metal-hydrido complexes 5 and 6, respectively. The reaction involves the acceptorless dehydrogenation of the alcohols at a relatively low temperature, without the assistance of an external base. The new complexes have been characterized by the usual analytical and spectroscopic methods including the X-ray diffraction determination of the crystal structures of complexes 1–5, 7, and 8. Notably, the chlorido complexes 1 and 2 crystallize both as enantiopure conglomerates and as racemates. Reaction mechanisms are proposed based on stoichiometric reactions, nuclear magnetic resonance studies, and X-ray crystallography as well as density functional theory calculations.

In solution, masked transition-metal frustrated Lewis pairs (TMFLPs) give rise to the corresponding TMFLP species which activate dihydrogen, water, and alcohols following FLP reaction pathways. When D₂O or alcohols with deuterated OH groups were employed, H/D exchange at the Cp* ligand (involving C(sp³)−H activation) was observed. C(sp²)−H bond activation involving orthometalation of the p-Tolyl ring was also observed.

Tuning the selectivity in iridium-catalyzed acceptorless dehydrogenative coupling of primary alcohols

An acceptorless dehydrogenative coupling of primary alcohols to carboxylic acids/carboxylates, esters, and Guerbet alcohols (via both homo- and cross-β-alkylation of the alcohols) in the presence of an N-heterocyclic carbene iridium(I) catalyst was developed under aerobic conditions. The product selectivity can be easily tuned among the products with a single catalyst through simple modification of the reaction conditions, such as the catalyst and base amounts, the choice of base, and the reaction temperature.

Acceptorless dehydrogenation of alcohols to carboxylic acids by palladium nanoparticles supported on NiO: delving into metal-support cooperation in catalysis

In this work, we have developed a simple NiO-supported Pd nanocatalyst (Pd@NiO) for oxidant-free dehydrogenative oxidation of primary alcohols to carboxylic acids along with hydrogen gas as a byproduct. The catalyst has been characterized by techniques like XRD, HRTEM, SEM-EDX, XPS and ICP-AES. The nanostructured Pd@NiO material showed excellent dehydrogenative oxidation activity and outperformed the activity of free NiO or Pd nanoparticles supported on silica/carbon as a catalyst, which could be attributed to synergistic effect of Pd and NiO. A diverse range of aromatic and aliphatic primary alcohols could be efficiently converted to their corresponding carboxylates in high yields with a catalyst loading as low as 0.08 mol%. Notably, highly challenging biomass derived heterocyclic alcohols such as furfuryl alcohol and piperonyl alcohol can also be efficiently converted to their corresponding acids. Moreover, our catalyst can convert benzyl alcohol to benzoic acid on a gram scale with 89% yield. Interestingly, the H₂ gas liberated in the reaction can also be used as a substrate for the hydrogenation of 3a to 4a in 65% yield. The nanostructured catalyst is highly reusable and no significant decrease in activity was observed after six reaction cycles. A kinetic study revealed that the reaction followed first-order kinetics with a rate constant of k = 1.47 × 10^-4 s^-1, under optimized conditions. The extent of reactivity of different functionalities towards dehydrogenation was also investigated using a Hammett plot showing good linearity.

Dehydrogenative ester synthesis from enol ethers and water with a ruthenium complex catalyzing two reactions in synergy

We report the dehydrogenative synthesis of esters from enol ethers using water as the formal oxidant, catalyzed by a newly developed ruthenium acridine-based PNP(Ph)-type complex. Mechanistic experiments and density functional theory (DFT) studies suggest that an inner-sphere stepwise coupled reaction pathway is operational instead of a more intuitive outer-sphere tandem hydration-dehydrogenation pathway.

Atomically Dispersed Co Clusters Anchored on N-doped Carbon Nanotubes for Efficient Dehydrogenation of Alcohols and Subsequent Conversion to Carboxylic Acids

The catalytic dehydrogenation of readily available alcohols to high value-added carbonyl compounds is a research hotspot with scientific significance. Most of the current research about this reaction is performed with noble metal-based homogeneous catalysts of high price and poor reusability. Herein, highly dispersed Co-cluster-decorated N-doped carbon nanotubes (Co/N-CNTs) were fabricated via a facile strategy and used for the dehydrogenation of alcohols with high efficiency. Various characterization techniques confirmed the presence of metallic Co clusters with almost atomic dispersion, and the N-doped carbon supports also enhanced the catalytic activity of Co clusters in the dehydrogenation reaction. Aldehydes as dehydrogenation products were further transformed in situ to carboxylic acids through a Cannizzaro-type pathway under alkaline conditions. The reaction pathway of the dehydrogenation of alcohols was clearly confirmed by theoretical calculations. This work should provide an effective and simple approach for the accurate design and synthesis of small Co-clusters catalysts for the efficient dehydrogenation-based transformation of alcohols to carboxylic acids under mild reaction conditions.

Understanding the Roles of Electrogenerated Co3+ and Co4+ in Selectivity-Tuned 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural Oxidation

The Co-based electrocatalyst is among the most promising candidates for electrochemical oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). However, the intrinsic active sites and detailed mechanism of this catalyst remains unclear. We combine experimental evidence and a theoretical study to show that electrogenerated Co³⁺ and Co⁴⁺ species act as chemical oxidants but with distinct roles in selective HMF oxidation. It is found that Co³⁺ is only capable of oxidizing formyl group to produce carboxylate while Co⁴⁺ is required for the initial oxidation of hydroxyl group with significantly faster kinetics. As a result, the product distribution shows explicit dependence on the Co oxidation states and selective production of 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furancarboxylic acid (HMFCA) and 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) are achieved by tuning the applied potential. This work offers essential mechanistic insight on Co-catalyzed organic oxidation reactions and might guide the design of more efficient electrocatalysts.

Au/Ag/Cu-Mixed Catalysts for the Eco-Friendly Oxidation of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural and Related Compounds to Carboxylic Acids under Atmospheric Oxygen in Water

A green method for the oxidation of alcohols to carboxylic acids was developed using a novel co-catalytic system based on gold, silver, and copper catalysts. This reaction system was conducted under atmospheric oxygen in water and mild conditions to selectively oxidize 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, as a building block for polyethylene furanoate, which is a 100% bio-based, future alternative to the petroleum-based polyethylene terephthalate. Furthermore, various primary alcohols were conveniently oxidized to their corresponding carboxylic acids in up to quantitative yields.

A new porous Co(ii)-metal–organic framework for high sorption selectivity and affinity to CO2 and efficient catalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohols to benzaldehydes

A new porous Co(ii)-MOF I has been prepared. Gas sorption and catalytic experiments show that the guest-free sample I′ shows the high capacity and selectivity to CO₂ over CH₄ and catalytically oxidize benzyl alcohols efficiently into benzaldehydes.

Direct Oxidation of Primary Alcohols to Carboxylic Acids

Oxidation of primary alcohols to carboxylic acids is a fundamental transformation in organic chemistry, yet despite its simplicity, extensive use, and relationship to pH, it remains a subject of active research for synthetic organic chemists. Since 2013, a great number of new methods have emerged that utilize transition-metal compounds as catalysts for acceptorless dehydrogenation of alcohols to carboxylates. The interest in this reaction is explained by its atom economy, which is in accord with the principles of sustainability and green chemistry. Therefore, the methods for the direct synthesis of carboxylic acids from alcohols is ripe for a modern survey, which we provide in this review.

1 Introduction

2 Thermodynamics of Primary Alcohol Oxidation

3 Oxometalate Oxidation

4 Transfer Dehydrogenation

5 Acceptorless Dehydrogenation

6 Electrochemical Methods

7 Outlook

Sequential Connection of Mutually Exclusive Catalytic Reactions by a Method Controlling the Presence of an MOF Catalyst: One-Pot Oxidation of Alcohols to Carboxylic Acids

A functionalized metal-organic framework (MOF) catalyst applied to the sequential one-pot oxidation of alcohols to carboxylic acids controls the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst. The conversion of alcohols to aldehydes was acquired through aerobic oxidation using a well-known amino-oxy radical-functionalized MOF. In the same flask, a simple filtration of the radical MOF with mild heating of the solution completely altered the reaction media, providing radical scavenger-free conditions suitable for the autoxidation of the aldehydes formed in the first step to carboxylic acids. The mutually exclusive radical-catalyzed aerobic oxidation (the first step with MOF) and radical-inhibited autoxidation (the second step without MOF) are sequentially achieved in a one-pot manner. Overall, we demonstrate a powerful and efficient method for the sequential oxidation of alcohols to carboxylic acids by employing a readily functionalizable heterogeneous MOF. In addition, our MOF in-and-out method can be utilized in an environmentally friendly way for the oxidation of alcohols to carboxylic acids of industrial and economic value with broad functional group tolerance, including 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid and 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid, with good yield and reusability. Furthermore, MOF-TEMPO, as an antioxidative stabilizer, prevents the undesired oxidation of aldehydes, and the perfect "recoverability" of such a reactive MOF requires a re-evaluation of the advantages of MOFs from heterogeneity in catalytic and related applications.

Cobalt-catalysed selective synthesis of aldehydes and alcohols from esters

Efficient and selective reduction of esters to aldehydes and alcohols is reported in which a simple cobalt pincer catalyst catalyses both transformations using diethylsilane as a reductant. Remarkably, the reaction selectivity is controlled by the stoichiometry of diethylsilane.

Catalytic oxidations by dehydrogenation of alkanes, alcohols and amines with defined (non)-noble metal pincer complexes

The present review highlights the latest developments in the field of transition metal-catalysed oxidations, in particular C–C–, C–O– and C–N-bond dehydrogenations.