Insight into the chemoselective aromatic vs. side-chain hydroxylation of alkylaromatics with H2O2 catalyzed by a non-heme imine-based iron complex

The oxidation of a series of alkylaromatic compounds with H2O2 catalyzed by an imine-based non-heme iron complex prepared in situ by reaction of 2-picolylaldehyde, 2-picolylamine, and Fe(OTf)(2) in a 2 : 2 : 1 ratio leads to a marked chemoselectivity for aromatic ring hydroxylation over side-chain oxidation. This selectivity is herein investigated in detail. Side-chain/ring oxygenated product ratio was found to increase upon decreasing the bond dissociation energy (BDE) of the benzylic C-H bond in line with expectation. Evidence for competitive reactions leading either to aromatic hydroxylation via electrophilic aromatic substitution or side-chain oxidation via benzylic hydrogen atom abstraction, promoted by a metal-based oxidant, has been provided by kinetic isotope effect analysis.