Dehydrogenative Oxidation of Alcohols in Aqueous Media Catalyzed by a Water-Soluble Dicationic Iridium Complex Bearing a Functional N‑Heterocyclic Carbene Ligand without Using Base

A dicationic
iridium complex bearing a bidentate ligand that comprises
N-heterocyclic carbene and α-hydroxypyridine moieties has been
designed and synthesized. The complex exhibited high catalytic performance
in aqueous media for the dehydrogenative oxidation of secondary alcohols
to ketones accompanying the evolution of hydrogen. Furthermore, dehydrogenative
transformation of primary alcohols to the carboxylic acids in aqueous
media was also catalyzed by the complex without using base.

设计并合成了一种双阳离子铱配合物，其配体为包含氮杂环卡宾（N-heterocyclic carbene）与α-羟基吡啶（α-hydroxypyridine）结构单元的双齿配体。该配合物在水介质中表现出优异的催化性能，可催化仲醇脱氢氧化为酮类化合物，同时伴随氢气析出。此外，该配合物还可在无需使用碱的水介质中催化伯醇脱氢转化为羧酸。