Organoiridium–quinone conjugates for facile hydrogen peroxide generation

Abstract

An organoiridium complex bearing a quinone moiety was shown to significantly accelerate the rate of H₂O₂ formation in the presence of air and sodium formate at low catalyst concentrations. This reaction is proposed to operate through a synergistic mechanism involving transfer hydrogenation catalysis and radical chemistry. Our bifunctional iridium complex could potentially be used in anti-cancer chemotherapy or other applications requiring rapid generation of reactive oxygen species.