Catalytic Oxygenation of Hydrocarbons by Mono-μ-oxo Dicopper(II) Species Resulting from O-O Cleavage of Tetranuclear CuI /CuII Peroxo Complexes.

Abstract

One of the challenges of catalysis is the transformation of inert C−H bonds to useful products. Copper‐containing monooxygenases play an important role in this regard. Here we show that low‐temperature oxygenation of dinuclear copper(I) complexes leads to unusual tetranuclear, mixed‐valent μ4‐peroxo [CuI/CuII]2 complexes. These Cu4O2 intermediates promote irreversible and thermally activated O−O bond homolysis, generating Cu2O complexes that catalyze strongly exergonic H‐atom abstraction from hydrocarbons, coupled to O‐transfer. The Cu2O species can also be produced with N2O, demonstrating their capability for small‐molecule activation. The binding and cleavage of O2 leading to the primary Cu4O2 intermediate and the Cu2O complexes, respectively, is elucidated with a range of solution spectroscopic methods and mass spectrometry. The unique reactivities of these species establish an unprecedented, 100 % atom‐economic scenario for the catalytic, copper‐mediated monooxygenation of organic substrates, employing both O‐atoms of O2.