Novel dicopper(II)-tetracarboxylates as catalysts for selective oxidation of benzyl alcohols with aqueous TBHP

A few dicopper(II) tetracarboxylate complexes viz. [Cu2(µ-O2CC6H5)4(4-Etpy)2] (1), [Cu2(µ-O2CC6H5)4(4-DMAP)2] (2), [Cu2(µ-O2CC6H5)4(4-CNpy)2] (3) and [Cu2(µ-O2CCH3)4(4-CNpy)2] (4) have been utilised as catalysts for oxidation of benzyl alcohols using aqueous tert-butyl hydroperoxide as the oxidant. Complexes 1 and 2 have shown better catalytic activity than the other two. Unlike other catalysts, these dicopper complexes can catalyse oxidation of alcohols at a very low concentration (0.5 mol%).