Iron complexes with nitrogen bidentate ligands as green catalysts for alcohol oxidation

•Iron complexes with bipyridines or phenanthrolines catalyze oxidation of alcohols.•The reactions employ either H2O2 or tert-butilhydroperoxide (TBHP) as oxidant.•NMR studies gave indications on the nature of the catalytically active species.

The iron(II) complexes [Fe(N-N)3](OTf)2 (N-N = 2,2′- bipyridine, 1,10-phenanthroline and substituted derivatives) were employed as catalyst precursors for the oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols, including glycerol. The single-crystal structure of [Fe(bipy)3](OTf)2 was determined by X-ray crystallography.The catalytic reactions were performed using either H2O2 or tert-butilhydroperoxide (TBHP) as oxidating agent, in mild experimental conditions: with all catalysts employed, secondary alcohols were oxidized to the corresponding ketones with up to 100% yields, whereas other substrates gave lower conversions. Indications on the nature of the catalytically active species, which is probably formed via dissociation of a nitrogen ligand from the iron center, were obtained from NMR and ESI–MS spectra.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload high-quality image (122 K)Download as PowerPoint slideThe iron(II) complexes [Fe(N-N)3](OTf)2 (N-N = 2,2′-bipyridine, 1,10-phenanthroline and substituted derivatives) behave as catalyst precursors for the oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols, using either H2O2 or tert-butilhydroperoxide as oxidating agent in mild experimental conditions.