The oxidation of ethylbenzene and other alkylaromatics by dioxygen catalysed by iron(III) tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin and related iron porphyrins

The oxidation of ethylbenzene with dioxygen catalysed by iron(III) porphyrins in a solvent free system has been studied over the temperature range 30-110 degrees C. The time dependence of the formation of the three main products, 1-phenylethanol, acetophenone and 1-phenylethyl hydroperoxide, and the fate of the iron porphyrin are interpreted in terms of a free radical autoxidation mechanism. The yields of the oxidation products are determined by the rate of reaction and by the lifetime of the catalyst. Catalyst degradation is shown to involve reaction of the porphyrin ligand with 1-phenylethoxyl and 1-phenylethylperoxyl radicals. The disadvantages of increased induction periods and longer reaction times of the oxidations observed at lower reaction temperatures are counter balanced by increased catalyst turnovers. Less extensive studies on the oxidations of toluene, cumene, (2-methylpropyl)benzene and tert-butylbenzene support the overall mechanism proposed for ethylbenzene. A comparative study using the catalysts iron(III) 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octachloro-5,10,15,20-tetrakis(2,6-dichlorophenyl)porphyrin and iron(III) tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin and five of its derivatives reveals that halogenation of the beta-pyrrole positions markedly increases the activity of the catalysts but not the stability of the porphyrin towards degradation. The highest yields were obtained with the mu-oxodimer of iron(III) tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin and iron(III) tetrakis(4-dimethylamino-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorophenyl)porphyrin.