Chemical Sciences Seminars

Hydrocarbon Oxidation in Aqueous and Nonaqueous Medium by Metal Oxo Catalyst

by Dr. Amit Paul (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

Wednesday, June 29, 2011 from to (Asia/Kolkata)
at Colaba Campus ( AG-69 )
TIFR, Colaba, Mumbai 400005
Description
Benzyl alcohol oxidation in aqueous medium was studied by RuIV=O2+ and RuV=O3+ forms of the water oxidation catalyst [Ru(Mebimpy)(bpy)(OH2)]2+. Three different pathways were identified for alcohol oxidation by RuIV=O2+: i) C-H insertion in acid-neutral solutions, ii) a novel base-assisted concerted hydride proton transfer (HPT), iii) deprotonation and hydride transfer oxidation of the alkoxide. A significant rate enhancement was found for benzyl alcohol oxidation by RuV=O3+ compared to RuIV=O2+. Oxidation of hydrocarbons- ethylbenzene, toluene, cumene- were studied by RuV=O3+ in propylene carbonate/water solvent mixtures. The relative reactivity order was ethylbenzene > toluene > cumene.