Iodine(iii) catalyzed metal free method for oxidation of alcohols and aldehydes in water.

Reactions of the dilithiated diols RCH2P(S)(CH2OLi)2 [R = Fc (1), Ph (2) (Fc = ferrocenyl)] with N3P3F6 in equimolar ratios at -80 degrees C result exclusively in the formation of two structural isomers of ansa-substituted compounds, endo-RCH2P(S)(CH2O)2[P(F)N]2(F2PN) [R = Fc (3a), Ph (4a)] and exo-RCH2P(S)(CH2O)2[P(F)N]2(F2PN) [R = Fc (3b), Ph (4b)], which are separated by column chromatography. Increasing the reaction temperature to -40 degrees C results in more of the exo isomers 3b and 4b at the expense of the endo isomers. The formation of the ansa-substituted compounds is found to depend on the dilithiation of the diols, as a reaction of the silylated phosphine sulfide FcCH2P(S)(CH2OSiMe3)2 (5) with N3P3F6 in the presence of CsF does not yield either 3a or 3b but instead gives the spiro isomer [FcCH2P(S)(CH2O)2 PN](F2PN)2 (6) as the disubstitution product of N3P3F6. The ansa isomers 3a and 3b are transformed into the spiro compound 6 in the presence of catalytic amounts of CsF at room temperature in THF, while 4a and 4b are transformed into the spiro compound [PhCH2P(S)(CH2O)2PN](F2PN)2 (7) under similar conditions. The novel conversions of ansa-substituted phosphazenes into spirocyclic phosphazenes were monitored by time-dependent 31P NMR spectroscopy. The effect of temperature on a transformation was studied by carrying out reactions at various temperatures in the range from -60 to +33 degrees C for 3b. In addition, compounds 3a, 3b, 4a, and 6 were structurally characterized. In the case of the ansa compounds, the nitrogen atom flanked by the bridging phosphorus sites was found to deviate significantly from the plane defined by the five remaining atoms of the phosphazene ring.

A ferrocenium promoted method for the chemoselective oxidation of benzylic amines to imines has been developed with yields varying from 53% to 93%. Use of 5 mol % ferrocenium hexafluorophosphate as a promoter was sufficient for this radical based oxidation reaction. Air was bubbled into the reaction mixture, which worked as the oxidant for this transformation. Most importantly, the reaction was carried out in pure aqueous medium at 65 °C. A 10 gram scale reaction with benzylamine was successfully carried out to show the practical applicability of this methodology.

Oxidative coupling of primary amines to imines has been achieved by using a water soluble cobalt complex as catalyst and air as the oxidant at near ambient conditions. Aromatic, heteroaromatic and aliphatic amines were successfully converted to the corresponding imines with yields of up to 96 %. A 20 gram scale reaction for the synthesis of imine from benzylamine in good yield is also demonstrated with this method. The catalyst has been found to be reusable with up to five cycles. It is highly efficient, gives a turnover number (TON) of up to 128, and shows chemoselectivity with the only byproducts being water and ammonia. Control experiments and mechanistic studies indicate that the Co /Co catalytic cycle is responsible for these oxidative transformations. Some of the reactive intermediates of this reaction have also been isolated and structurally characterized.

Reaction of (beta-phenylethynyl)pentafluorocyclotriphosphazene, F5P3N3C identical with CPh, with in situ generated eta5-(MeOC(O)C5H4)Co(PPh3)2 resulted in the formation of two isomers of cobaltacyclopentadienylmetallacycles, (eta(5)-carbomethoxycyclopentadienyl)(triphenylphosphine)-2,5-bis(pentafluorocyclotriphosphazenyl)-3,4-diphenyl cobaltacyclopentadiene (1) and (eta5-carbomethoxycyclopentadienyl)(triphenylphosphine)-2,4-bis(pentafluorocyclotriphosphazenyl)-3,5-diphenyl cobaltacyclopentadiene (2), along with the sandwich compound [eta5-carbomethoxycyclopentadienyl]-[eta4-1,3-bis(pentafluorocyclotriphosphazenyl)-2,4-diphenylcyclobutadiene]cobalt (3). Formation of cobaltacyclopentadienylmetallacycles or cyclobutadienylmetallocene having two fluorophosphazene units on vicinal carbon atoms of the rings was not observed in this reaction. Reaction of 1 with diphenylacetylene resulted in the formation of a novel aryl-bridged fluorophosphazene, 1,4-bis(pentafluorocyclotriphosphazenyl)-2,3,5,6-tetraphenyl benzene (4), and the conversion of cobaltametallacycle to the sandwich compound, [eta5-(MeOC(O)C5H4]Co(eta4-C4Ph4) (5). Reaction of 1 with phenylacetylene resulted in the formation of aryl-bridged fluorophosphazene, 1,4-bis(pentafluorophosphazenyl)-2,3,5,-triphenyl benzene (6). New compounds 1-4 were structurally characterized. In compound 1, the two fluorophosphazene units were oriented in gauche form with respect to each other. However, in compounds 2 and 3, they were eclipsed to each other, and in compound 4, they were oriented anti to each other.