Vanadium-Catalyzed Alkane Functionalization Reactions under Mild Conditions

Abstract

The conversion of alkanes into more valuable organic products, under mild conditions, is a current challenge to modem chemistry, and the partial oxidation of the former with transition metal catalysts is a rather promising approach. We now discuss the use of a number of vanadium compounds, commonly complexes with N,O- or O,O-ligands, including Amavadine and its model, as catalysts for the hydroxylation, oxygenation, halogenation or carboxylation of alkanes, gaseous (in particular methane) and liquid (both linear and cyclic) ones, to afford, under mild or moderate conditions, the corresponding alcohols, ketones, organohalides or carboxylic acids. Some of the systems operate in peroxidative liquid biphasic media, whereas others involve dioxygen as the oxidant and V-catalysts supported on modified silica gel. Evidence for the involvement of radical mechanisms is presented.