Cobalt/N-Hydroxyphthalimide(NHPI)-Catalyzed Aerobic Oxidation of Hydrocarbons with Ionic Liquid Additive

A highly efficient and solvent-free system of cobalt/NHPI-catalyzed aerobic oxidation of hydrocarbons was developed using imidazolium-based ionic liquid (IL) as an additive. These amphipathic ILs were found self-assemble at the interface between the organic hydrocarbons and the aqueous phase of catalyst combination (Co/NHPI), with forming a solution of reversed multilamellar vesicles for catalysis.

The initial reaction rate was influenced by both the composition of microdomains and the structure of IL launched. Consequently, a proper water content (ΧH2O) of wet IL was requisite to reach the optimum reactivity. Besides, the interfacial boundary between aqueous and organic phase composed by C2-alkylated imidazolium ILs, such as [bdmim]SbF6 and [C12dmim]SbF6, not only has ternary aggregates (hydrocarbons/IL/H2O) of higher stability but renders O2 a faster diffusion rate and higher concentration, thereby offering a high reactivity of the protocol towards hydrocarbon oxidation.