FeCl2py4+ catalyzed transformation of aromatic amines by HOOH under mild conditions

Abstract

FeCl2py4+ is capable of activating HOOH for the selective and efficient (yields range roughly from 50 to 80%) transformation of anilines at room temperature using pyridine as the solvent. Initially, aniline yields mainly nitrosobenzene that in turn reacts with more aniline to form the corresponding azo and azoxybenzene derivatives. Replacing HOOH by t-BuOOH in the system, changes the product distribution dramatically forming only nitrobenzene. Under the same conditions FeCl2py4+ efficiently catalyzes the mono-demethylation of N,N′-dimethylaniline by HOOH.