Efficient and Selective Oxidation of Primary and Secondary Alcohols Using an Iron(III)/Phenanthroline Complex: Structural Studies and Catalytic Activity

Abstract

Abstract An efficient catalytic system for the oxidation of alcohols has been developed by using iron(III) catalyst [Fe(phen) 2 Cl 2 ]NO 3 ( 1 ) (phen = 1,10‐phenanthroline) and H 2 O 2 as terminal oxidant. A series of primary and secondary alcohols were oxidized into aldehydes and ketones in good yields and excellent selectivities after a short reaction time. The mononuclear iron(III) complex [Fe(phen) 2 Cl 2 ]NO 3 was characterized by several independent methods. The X‐ray structure shows distorted octahedral geometry around the Fe III center, which is in a high‐spin state ( S = 5/2) according to Mössbauer study.