A hexanuclear cobalt(III) complex containing the pseudocubane fragment [Co4(μ4-O)2(μ3-O)2] in its metal framework and a solvated dibenzyl ether molecule

• Published in: Russian journal of coordination chemistry 2014-06, Vol.40 (6), p.358-365
• Main Authors: Nefedov, S. E., Uvarova, M. A., Golubnichaya, M. A., Nefedova, I. V., Chikhichin, D. G., Kotseruba, V. A., Levchenko, O. A., Kamalov, G. L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Inorganic Chemistry; Physical Chemistry
• ISSN: 1070-3284; 1608-3318
• DOI: 10.1134/S1070328414060049

Room-temperature oxidation of a mixture of the complex (Co II ) 3 (μ-OOCBu t ) 6 (NEt 3 ) 2 and dibenzyl ether (DBE) with atmospheric oxygen in dichloromethane-benzene (4: 1) gave the hexanuclear complex [(Co III ) 6 (μ 4 -O) 2 (μ 3 -O) 2 (μ-OOCBu t ) 9 (OH) 2 (HOOCBu t )](HNEt 3 ) · 0.5DBE · C 6 H 6 ( I ) as the major reaction product. According to X-ray diffraction data, the metal framework of complex I contains the pseudocubane fragment [Co 4 (μ 4 -O) 2 (μ 3 -O) 2 ] linked with two “peripheral” cobalt(III) ions. The possibility of using complex I as an intermediate catalyst for liquid-phase oxidation of DBE as well as the conformational changes in the DBE molecule due to its adaptation to the metal complexes are discussed.