Green and mild oxidation: from acetate anion to oxalate anion

Abstract

A novel reaction system for the preparation of oxalate anion from cupric acetate and 2-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)-1,10-phenanthroline under green and mild reaction conditions is reported herein, namely, the methyl group from the acetate anion has been oxidized into a carboxyl group by air in the presence of CuII ion and 2-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)-1,10-phenanthroline at 0 to 30 °C. In the reaction, the CuII complex was formed with 1,10-phenanthrolin-2-ol and oxalate as ligands, in which 1,10-phenanthrolin-2-ol comes from the hydrolysis of 2-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)-1,10-phenanthroline and oxalate from the oxidation of acetate. The reaction system functions similarly to those of fungi.The reaction system reported herein can oxidize methyl group into oxalate anion undergreen and mild reaction condition.