Tuning the conversion of cyclohexane into cyclohexanol/one by molecular dioxygen, protons and reducing agents at a single non-porphyrinic iron centre and chemical versatility of the tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine TPAFe(II)Cl(2) complex in mild oxidation chemistry

We report that the oxygen sensitivity of some Fe(II) complexes with tripodal ligands can be used, with benefit, in the oxidation of cyclohexane under mild conditions. Depending on the solvent, two very different reaction pathways are involved, which share the coordination of O-2 to the metal as the common initial step. We have synthesized a series of a-chlorinated tripods in the tris(2-pyridylmethyl) amine series Cl(n)TPA (n = 1-3) and fully characterized the corresponding FeX2 complexes (X = Cl, CF3SO3). The single-crystal X-ray structure analyses of the FeCl2 complexes are reported. In CH3CN, the FeCl2 complexes react smoothly with O-2, whereas the Fe(CF3SO3)(2) complexes are non-sensitive. In CH3CN, the reaction of the oxygen-sensitive Cl(n)TPAFeCl(2) (n = 0-3) with O-2, acetic acid and zinc amalgam, in the presence of cyclohexane, affords a mixture of cyclohexanol/one in an approximate to ol/one ratio of 3.1 and a selectivity of the C3 degrees/C2 degrees in the adamantane conversion that is consistent with a metal-oxo based oxidation. Limited efficiency (approximate to 2 TON) was observed for the parent TPAFeCl(2) complex and Cl(1)TPAFeCl(2), whereas both other complexes turned out to be poorly active. The TPAFeCl(2) complex was used to address mechanistic questions: when the reaction was carried out in pyridine, the ol/one ratio shifted to 0.15 while efficiency was improved by 7-fold. In pyridine and in the presence of a spin trap (DMPO), the radical-based character of the reaction was definitely established, by contrast with acetonitrile, where no oxygenated radicals were detected. Thus, the reactivity differences arise from involvement of two distinct active species. The dichotomous radical/biomimetic pathway is discussed to interpret these results.