Oxidation of Styrene to Benzaldehyde Catalyzed by Schiff Base Functionalized Triazolylidene Ni(II) Complexes

Abstract

Four new Schiff base functionalized 1,2,3-triazolylidene nickel complexes, [Ni-(L1NHC)2](PF6)2; 3, [Ni-(L2NHC)2](PF6)2; 4, [Ni-(L3NHC)](PF6)2; 7 and [Ni-(L4NHC)](PF6)2; 8, (where L1NHC = (E)-3-methyl-1-propyl-4-(2-(((2-(pyridin-2-yl)ethyl)imino)methyl)phenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-3-ium hexafluorophosphate(V), 1, L2NHC = (E)-3-methyl-4-(2-((phenethylimino)methyl)phenyl)-1-propyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-3-ium hexafluorophosphate(V), 2, L3NHC = 4,4′-(((1E)-(ethane-1,2-diylbis(azanylylidene))bis(methanylylidene))bis(2,1-phenylene))bis(3-methyl-1-propyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-3-ium) hexafluorophosphate(V), 5, and L4NHC = 4,4′-(((1E)-(butane-1,4-diylbis(azanylylidene))bis(methanylylidene))bis(2,1-phenylene))bis(3-methyl-1-propyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-3-ium) hexafluorophosphate(V), 6), were synthesised and characterised by a variety of spectroscopic methods. Square planar geometry was proposed for all the nickel complexes. The catalytic potential of the complexes was explored in the oxidation of styrene to benzaldehyde, using hydrogen peroxide as a green oxidant in the presence of acetonitrile at 80 °C. All complexes showed good catalytic activity with high selectivity to benzaldehyde. Complex 3 gave a conversion of 88% and a selectivity of 70% to benzaldehyde in 6 h. However, complexes 4 and 7–8 gave lower conversions of 48–74% but with higher (up to 90%) selectivity to benzaldehyde. Results from kinetics studies determined the activation energy for the catalytic oxidation reaction as 65 ± 3 kJ/mol, first order in catalyst and fractional order in the oxidant. Results from UV-visible and CV studies of the catalytic activity of the Ni-triazolylidene complexes on styrene oxidation did not indicate any clear possibility of generation of a Ni(II) to Ni(III) catalytic cycle.