Showing papers on "Oxidation of secondary alcohols to ketones published in 2008"

Structural features and reactivity of (sparteine)PdCl2: a model for selectivity in the oxidative kinetic resolution of secondary alcohols.

Abstract: The chiral ligand (−)-sparteine and PdCl_2 catalyze the enantioselective oxidation of secondary alcohols to ketones and thus effect a kinetic resolution. The structural features of sparteine that led to the selectivity observed in the reaction were not clear. Substitution experiments with pyridine derivatives and structural studies of the complexes generated were carried out on (sparteine)PdCl2 and indicated that the C1 symmetry of (−)-sparteine is essential to the location of substitution at the metal center. Palladium alkoxides were synthesized from secondary alcohols that are relevant steric models for the kinetic resolution. The solid-state structures of the alkoxides also confirmed the results from the pyridine derivative substitution studies. A model for enantioinduction was developed with C1 symmetry and Cl− as key features. Further studies of the diastereomers of (−)-sparteine, (−)-α-iso- and (+)-β-isosparteine, in the kinetic resolution showed that these C_2-symmetric counterparts are inferior ligands in this stereoablative reaction

Synthesis of new hybrid hydroquinone/cobalt Schiff base catalysts: efficient electron-transfer mediators in aerobic oxidation.

Abstract: This thesis deals mainly with two oxidation reactions: water oxidation and aerobic oxidation, both of which have been applied in a biomimetic fashion. In the former reaction molecular oxygen is generated whereas in the latter it was used as terminal oxidant in oxidation reactions. The first part of this thesis describes the synthesis of different ruthenium and manganese complexes that could potentially act as catalysts for water oxidation. This part includes a discussion of the stability and reactivity of a new manganese(III) amide-type complex, that has been used as a catalyst for both epoxidation of stilbene and alcohol oxidation. The second part of this thesis discusses the synthesis of two new hybrid catalysts consisting of hydroquinone linked cobalt(II) salophen and cobalt(II) salmdpt, which have been used as oxygen-activating catalysts in aerobic oxidation reactions. The former catalyst was applied to the Pd-catalyzed reactions such as 1,4-diacetoxylation of cyclohexadiene whereas the latter was applied to the Ru-catalyzed oxidation of secondary alcohols to ketones. Moreover, these two hybrid catalysts could be used in the Pd-catalyzed carbocyclization of enallenes. In all cases molecular oxygen was used as the stoichiometric oxidant.