Iron(III) complexes of 2-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)phenol and acetate or nitrate as catalysts for epoxidation of olefins with hydrogen peroxide

• [Fe(L)2(CH3COO)] (1) and [Fe(L)2(NO3)]·2CH3OH (2) are prepared and characterized.
• HL = 2-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)phenol.
• 1 and 2 catalyze H2O2(aq) epoxidation of styrene and cyclohexene in CH3CN.
• [Fe(L)2(NO3)]·2CH3OH (2) has a bidentate nitrate ligand.
• 2 is the first structurally characterized non-heme iron epoxidation catalyst.

Cheap and environmentally friendly Fe(III) catalysts [Fe(L)2(CH3COO)] (1) and [Fe(L)2(NO3)]·2CH3OH (2) where HL = 2-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)phenol for epoxidation of olefins have been developed. The catalysts have been characterized by elemental analyses, IR, UV–Vis spectroscopy and by X-ray crystallography. The X-ray structures reveal mononuclear compounds having a bidentate acetate or nitrate in 1 and 2, respectively. Catalytic epoxidations of styrene and cyclohexene have been carried out homogeneously by using 30% aqueous hydrogen peroxide in acetonitrile in the presence of catalytic amounts of 1 or 2. Yields of the respective epoxides were fair (1) to good (2) and selectivities were good in all cases although 2 produced two to three times the yield, depending on the substrate, than 1 and higher selectivity as well. A hypothesis for these differences in catalytic efficacy between 1 and 2 that is consistent with mechanistic details of related enzymatic and biomimetic model systems is proposed. Herein we report [Fe(L)2(NO3)]·2CH3OH (2) as the first structurally characterized non-heme iron epoxidation catalyst with a bidentate nitrate ligand.

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