Synthesis, structure characterization and study of a new molybdenum Schiff base complex as an epoxidation catalyst with very high turnover numbers

The reaction between [MoO2(acac)(2)] and an ONO type Schiff-base ligand (L = 4-bromo-2-(2-hydroxy-5-methylphenylimino)methyl)phenol) resulted a new oligomer molybdenum complex aMoO(2)(L)(n)). The oligomer complex was characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, H-1 and C-13 NMR spectroscopies. A suitable single crystal of the complex was grown in DMSO and characterized by X-ray single crystal diffraction as monomer stabilized by one DMSO molecule, [MoO2L(DMSO)]. The [MoO2(L)](n) complex was used as a catalyst in epoxidation of olefins. Besides the high activity and selectivity, very high turnover numbers were a remarkable advantage of the catalytic system. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.