Oxidation Reactivity of Bis(μ‐oxo) Dinickel(III) Complexes: Arene Hydroxylation of the Supporting Ligand

Abstract

In the nick(el) of time: Bis(mu-oxo) dinickel(III) complexes 2 (see scheme), generated in the reaction of 1 with H(2)O(2), are capable of hydroxylating the xylyl linker of the supporting ligand to give 3. Kinetic studies reveal that hydroxylation proceeds by electrophilic aromatic substitution. The lower reactivity than the corresponding mu-eta(2):eta(2)-peroxo dicopper(II) complexes can be attributed to unfavorable entropy effects.