G. V. Nizova, G. Süss-Fink, G. B. Shul’pin
Mar 1, 1997
Citations
0
Influential Citations
58
Citations
Journal
Tetrahedron
Abstract
Methane, ethane, propane, n-butane and isobutane can be readily oxidized in acetonitrile solution by air and H2O2 at 20–75 °C using the catalytic system [n-Bu4N]VO3/pyrazine-2-carboxylic acid. Apart from alkyl hydroperoxides which are the primary oxidation products, more stable derivatives (alcohols, aldehydes or ketones and carboxylic acids) are obtained with high total turnover numbers (e.g., at 75 °C after 4 h: 420 for methane and 2130 for ethane). It was shown in the case of ethane and cyclohexane that alkanes do not yield oxygenated products in the absence of air. The cyclohexane oxidation under an 18O2 atmosphere showed a high degree of 18O incorporation into the oxygenated products. Thus in the oxidation reaction described here H2O2 is only the promoter while O2 is the “true” oxidant.