The study describes a new feature in the self-assembly
of cagelike
manganese-based phenylsilsesquioxanes consisting of the strong influence
of acetone solvates on the formation of a cage structure. By this
convenient approach, a series of new tri and tetra manganese-based
silsesquioxane complexes with (i) 1,10-phenanthroline, (ii) pyrazine,
or (iii) 3,5-dimethylpyrazole (dmpzH) ligands were isolated and characterized.
Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies established the molecular
architectures of all of the synthesized products. Several compounds
represent extraordinary types of cagelike metallasilsesquioxane (CLMS)
molecular architectures. Pyrazine- and dmpzH-based Mn3Na3 compounds exhibit total oxidation of initial Mn(II) ions
to the Mn(III) state. They present relatively weak antiferromagnetic
interactions between the manganese centers. The catalytic performance
of a representative precatalyst Mn–CLMS compound, [(Ph6Si6O12)2Mn3Na3(dmpzH)3(acetone)3(H2O)],
was investigated for the microwave-assisted oxidation of toluene to
obtain benzaldehyde, benzyl alcohol, and benzoic acid as the main
products. The effects of reaction parameters were studied, and under
optimized conditions, using the
t
BuOOH
oxidant, the oxygenated products were formed with a total yield of
54%, under microwave irradiation at 100 °C after 6 h, with 70%
selectivity toward the formation of benzoic acid.