Alkene Epoxidation Catalysts [Ru(pdc)(tpy)] and [Ru(pdc)(pybox)] Revisited : Revealing a Unique Ru-IV=O Structure from a Dimethyl Sulfoxide Coordinating Complex

• The X-ray crystal structure of a dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) coordinating complex [Ru-II(kappa(2)-pdc)(tpy)(DMSO)] (H(2)pdc = 2,6-pyridyl dicarboxylic acid and tpy = 2,2':6',2 ''-terpyridine) led to the discovery of a unique Ru-IV=O configuration for the Ru-pybox (pybox = pyridine-bis(oxazoline) ligands) epoxidation catalyst by theoretical calculations. On the basis of this structure, a detailed theoretical study was conducted on the alkene epoxidation reaction using ruthenium-based epoxidation catalysts. It was found that the process of H2O2 coordination proceeded via an associative path in which one carboxylate detached. The following H2O-elimination step was found to be facilitated by the detached carboxylate group. The resulting Ru-IV=O rearranges to the species trans-2a-oxo, in which one carboxylate group is situated over the tpy ring; the trans-2a-oxo was found to have the lowest activation free energies toward alkene epoxidation. These results demonstrated the importance of the hemilabile properties of the pdc(2-) ligand for the Ru-pdc alkene epoxidation catalysts.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Fysikalisk kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Physical Chemistry (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

epoxidation

ruthenium

DFT

hemilabile

oxidation

mechanism

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

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