Synthesis, characterization, crystal structure determination and catalytic activity in epoxidation reaction of two new oxidovanadium(IV) Schiff base complexes

• Two new vanadium (IV) Schiff base complexes, VO(L1)2,VO(L2)2, were synthesized.
• They were characterized by X-ray, CHN analysis and FT-IR and UV–Vis spectroscopy.
• X-ray crystallography showed the distorted square pyramidal geometries.
• The catalytic activity of them investigated in epoxidation of alkenes.
• The naphtalate moiety shows lower activity than the other substituted moieties.

The five coordinated vanadium(IV) Schiff base complexes of VOL1 (1) and VOL2 (2), HL1 = 2-{(E)-[2-bromoethyl)imino]methyl}-2- naphthol, HL2 = 2-{(E)-[2-chloroethyl)imino]methyl}-2- naphthol, have been synthesized and they were characterized by using single-crystal X-ray crystallography, elemental analysis (CHN) and FT-IR spectroscopy. Crystal structure determination of these complexes shows that the Schiff base ligands (L1 and L2) act as bidentate ligands with two phenolato oxygen atoms and two imine nitrogen atoms in the trans geometry. The coordination geometry around the vanadium(IV) is distorted square pyramidal in which vanadium(IV) is coordinated by two nitrogen and two oxygen atoms of two independent ligands in the basal plane and by one oxygen atom in the apical position. The catalytic activity of the Schiff base complexes of 1 and 2 in the epoxidation of alkenes were investigated using different reaction parameters such as solvent effect, oxidant, alkene/oxidant ratio and the catalyst amount. The results showed that in the presence of TBHP as oxidant in 1: 4 and 1:3 ratio of the cyclooctene/oxidant ratio, high epoxide yield was obtained for 1 (76%) and 2 (80%) with TON(= mole of substrate/mole of catalyst) of 27 and 28.5, respectively, in epoxidation of cyclooctene.

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