Methane oxidation by aqueous osmium tetroxide and sodium periodate: inhibition of methanol oxidation by methane.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Ahmad Dehestani.
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Osmium tetroxide is reduced by molecular hydrogen in the presence of ligands in both polar and nonpolar solvents. In CHCl3 containing pyridine (py) or 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), OsO4 is reduced by H2 to the known Os(VI) dimers L2Os(O)2(mu-O)2Os(O)2L2 (L2 = py2, phen). However, in the absence of ligands in CHCl3 and other nonpolar solvents, OsO4 is unreactive toward H2 over a week at ambient temperatures. In basic aqueous media, H2 reduces OsO4(OH)n(n-) (n = 0, 1, 2) to the isolable Os(VI) complex, OsO2(OH)4(2-), at rates close to that found in py/CHCl3. Depending on the pH, the aqueous reactions are exergonic by deltaG = -20 to -27 kcal mol(-1), based on electrochemical data. The second-order rate constants for the aqueous reactions are larger as the number of coordinated hydroxide ligands increases, k(OsO4) = 1.6(2) x 10(-2) M(-1) s(-1) < k(OsO4(OH)-) = 3.8(4) x 10(-2) M(-1) s(-1) < k(OsO4(OH)2(2-)) = 3.8(4) x 10(-1) M(-1) s(-1). The observation of primary deuterium kinetic isotope effects, k(H2)/k(D2) = 3.1(3) for OsO4 and 3.6(4) for OsO4(OH)-, indicates that the rate-determining step in each case involves H-H bond cleavage. Density functional calculations and thermochemical arguments favor a concerted [3+2] addition of H2 across two oxo groups of OsO4(L)n and argue against H* or H- abstraction from H2 or [2+2] addition of H2 across one Os=O bond. The [3+2] mechanism is analogous to that of alkene addition to OsO4(L)n to form diolates, for which acceleration by added ligands has been extensively documented. The observation that ligands also accelerate H2 addition to OsO4(L)n highlights the analogy between these two reactions.
Aqueous alkaline OsO4 at 85 degrees C oxidizes saturated alkanes, including primary, secondary, and tertiary C-H bonds. Isobutane affords tert-butanol in quantitative yield based on consumed OsO4. Cyclohexane is oxidized to a mixture of adipate and succinate. Ethane and propane are oxidized to acetate, which itself is further oxidized under the reaction conditions. A few turnovers of isobutane oxidation have been accomplished using NaIO4 as the terminal oxidant. The alkane oxidation is an example of ligand accelerated catalysis, as hydroxide binding to OsO4 is required for reaction. A concerted mechanism involving [3+2] addition of a C-H bond to two oxo groups of OsO4(OH)- is suggested, analogous to the pathways for dihydroxylation of alkenes by OsO4(L) and for addition of H2 to OsO4(L).
TpOs(N)(OAc)2 (2) is formed upon reaction of TpOs(N)Cl2 (1) with excess silver acetate (Tp = hydrotrispyrazolylborate). Treatment of 2 with protic acids HX gives the osmium(VI) complexes TpOs(N)X2, where X = trifluoroacetate (TFA, 3), trichloroacetate (TCA, 4), tribromoacetate (TBA, 5), bromide (6), oxalate (X2 = O2C2O2, 7), or nitrate (ONO2, 8). Cyclic voltammetry studies of 1-8 show irreversible reductions of OsVI to OsV, varying over a range of 0.63 V. Much smaller relative variations are observed in 15N NMR chemical shifts, v(Os identical to N) stretching frequencies, and optical absorbances. Compounds 1-8 all react with PPh3 by nucleophilic attack at the nitride ligand, yielding TpOs(NPPh3)X2. The reactions are accelerated by more electron withdrawing ligands X. The relative rates correlate with the peak reduction potentials although the effect is small: the rates vary by only 10(2) while the 0.63 V change in Ep,c corresponds to a change in equilibrium constant for electron transfer of approximately 10(11). Compounds 1-8 also react with triphenylboron, BPh3, with formation of borylanilido complexes TpOs[N(Ph)BPh2]X2. However, rate constants for reactions with BPh3 to yield OsIV boryl-amido complexes do not in general correlate with one-electron-reduction potentials. This is likely due to the mechanism of the BPh3 reactions being a two-step process and not simply nucleophilic attack.