The Iron(II) Complex [Fe(CF3SO3)2(mcp)] as a Convenient, Readily Available Catalyst for the Selective Oxidation of Methylenic Sites in Alkanes

AbstractThe efficient and selective oxidation of secondary CH sites of alkanes is achieved by using low catalyst loadings of a non‐expensive, readily available iron catalyst [Fe(II)(CF3SO3)2(mcp)], {Fe‐mcp, [mcp=N,N′‐dimethyl‐N,N′‐bis(2‐pyridylmethyl)cyclohexane‐trans‐1,2‐diamine]}, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as oxidant, via a simple reaction protocol. Natural products are selectively oxidized and isolated in synthetically amenable yields. The easy access to large quantities of the catalyst and the simplicity of the CH oxidation procedure make this system a particularly convenient tool to carry out alkane CH oxidation reactions on the preparative scale, and in short reaction times.magnified image