Aromatic C-H bond activation revealed by infrared multiphoton dissociation spectroscopy.
Metal-oxide cations are models of catalyst mediating the C-H bond activation of organic substrates. One of the most powerful reagents suggested in the gas phase is based on CuO(+) . Here, we describe the activation of the aromatic C-H bonds of phenanthroline in its complex with CuO(+) . The reaction sequence starts with a hydrogen atom abstraction by the oxygen atom from the 2-position of the phenanthroline ring, followed by OH migration to the ring. Using infrared multiphoton spectroscopy, it is shown that the reaction can be energetically facilitated by additional coordination of a water ligand to the copper ion. As the reaction is intramolecular, a spectroscopic characterization of the product is mandatory in order to unambiguously address the reaction mechanism.
Department of Organic and Nuclear Chemistry, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Hlavova 2030/8, 128 43, Prague 2, Czech Republic.
Lucie
L
Jašíková
Eva
E
Hanikýřová
Detlef
D
Schröder
Jana
J
Roithová