A synthetically useful catalytic system for aliphatic C–H oxidation with a nonheme cobalt complex and m-CPBA

Abstract

We report herein a synthetically useful catalytic system for aliphatic C–H oxidation with a mononuclear nonheme cobalt(II) complex and m-chloroperbenzoic acid (m-CPBA). Preliminary mechanistic studies suggest that a high-valent cobalt–oxygen species (e.g., cobalt(IV)-oxo or cobalt(III)-oxyl) is the oxidant that effects C–H oxidation via a rate-determining hydrogen atom abstraction (HAA) step.