Highly efficient divanadium(V) pre-catalyst for mild oxidation of liquid and gaseous alkanes Original Research Article

A new binuclear oxovanadium(V) complex bearing an NO2-donor Schiff base ligand, [{VO(EtO)(EtOH)}2(1κ2O,κN:2κ2O,κN-L)]·2H2O (H4L = bis(2-hydroxybenzylidene)oxalohydrazonic acid) was prepared and fully characterized by IR, 1H NMR and electronic spectroscopies, elemental analysis and single crystal X-ray diffraction. In the presence of 2-pyrazinecarboxylic acid (PCA) or another acid promoter, this compound acts as a highly efficient pre-catalyst towards the oxidation of gaseous and liquid alkanes by aqueous H2O2 under mild conditions, in aqueous MeCN. Total yields of oxygenates up to 45% and overall turnover numbers up to 7.8 × 103 are achieved.