Rhenium-Oxo and Rhenium-Peroxo Complexes in Catalytic Oxidations

Abstract

Rhenium oxo complexes have been known for about 70 years. However, until recently they and their organometallic derivatives have been widely regarded as curiosities. The situation has changed drastically since the successful high yield synthesis of methyltrioxorhenium(VII) (usually abbreviated as MTO) in the late 1980s and its bisperoxo complex about 5 years later. Since then numerous applications of MTO and other related rhenium oxo and peroxo complexes have been found, most notably in oxidation catalysis. A comprehensive review of the most important rhenium oxo and peroxo complexes and their applications in oxidation catalysis is presented here.