The question of whether hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) or electron transfer (ET) is the key step in the activation of N-aryl tetrahydroisoquinolines in oxidative coupling reactions using CuBr as catalyst and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBuOOH) has been investigated. Strong indications for a HAT mechanism were derived by using different para-substituted N-aryl tetrahydroisoquinolines, showing that electronic effects play a minor role in the reaction. Hammett plots of the Cu-catalyzed reaction, a direct time-resolved kinetic study with in situ generated cumyloxyl radicals, as well as density functional calculations gave essentially the same results. We conclude from these results and from kinetic isotope effect experiments that HAT is mostly mediated by tert-butoxyl radicals and only to a lesser extent by tert-butylperoxyl radicals, in contrast to common assumptions. However, reaction conditions affect the competition between these two pathways, which can significantly change the magnitude of kinetic isotope effects

We disclose an intriguing and a potentially general role for one of the most commonly used silver salt additives whose molecular understanding continues to remain rather vague in the contemporary practice of palladium catalysis.

Iridium complexes bearing PCP-type pincer ligands are the most effective catalysts reported to date for the low-temperature (≤ca. 200 °C) dehydrogenation of alkanes. To investigate the activity of formally isoelectronic ruthenium complexes, we have synthesized the neutral 2,7-di-tert-butyl-4,5-bis­(diisopropyl­phosphino)-9,9-dimethyl­thioxanthene (iPrxanPSP) pincer ligand and several Ru complexes thereof. The (iPrxanPSP)Ru complexes catalyze alkane transfer dehydrogenation of the benchmark cyclooctane/t-butylethylene (COA/TBE) couple with turnover frequencies up to ca. 1 s–1 at 150 °C and 0.2 s–1 at 120 °C, the highest rates for alkane dehydrogenation ever reported at such temperatures. Dehydrogenation of n-octane, however, is much less effective. A combination of experiment and DFT calculations allow us to explain why (iPrxanPSP)Ru is more effective than (iPrPCP)Ir for dehydrogenation of COA, while the reverse is true for dehydrogenation of n-alkanes. Considering only in-cycle species and simple olefin complexes, the (iPrxanPSP)Ru fragment is calculated to be much more active than (iPrPCP)Ir for dehydrogenation of both COA and n-alkanes. However, the resting state in the (iPrxanPSP)­Ru-catalyzed transfer dehydrogenation of n-alkane is a very stable linear-allyl hydride complex, whereas the corresponding cyclooctenyl hydride is much less stable.