BF3-activated oxidation of alkanes by MnO4 -

The oxidation of alkanes and arylalkanes by KMnO(4) in CH(3)CN is greatly accelerated by the presence of just a few equivalents of BF(3), the reaction occurring readily at room temperature. Carbonyl compounds are the predominant products in the oxidation of secondary C-H bonds. Spectrophotometric and kinetics studies show that BF(3) forms an adduct with KMnO(4) in CH(3)CN, [BF(3).MnO(4)](-), which is the active species responsible for the oxidation of C-H bonds. The rate constant for the oxidation of toluene by [BF(3).MnO(4)](-) is over 7 orders of magnitude faster than by MnO(4)(-) alone. The kinetic isotope effects for the oxidation of cyclohexane, toluene, and ethylbenzene at 25.0 degrees C are as follows: k(C6H12)/k(C6D12) = 5.3 +/- 0.6, k(C7H8)/k(C7D8) = 6.8 +/- 0.5, k(C8H10)/k(C8D10) = 7.1 +/- 0.5. The rate-limiting step for all of these reactions is most likely hydrogen-atom transfer from the substrate to an oxo group of the adduct. A good linear correlation between log(rate constant) and C-H bond energies of the hydrocarbons is found. The accelerating effect of BF(3) on the oxidation of methane by MnO(4)(-) has been studied computationally by the Density Functional Theory (DFT) method. A significant decrease in the reaction barrier results from BF(3) coordination to MnO(4)(-). The BF(3) coordination increases the ability of the Mn metal center to achieve a d(1) Mn(VI) electron configuration in the transition state. Calculations also indicate that the species [2BF(3).MnO(4)](-) is more reactive than [BF(3).MnO(4)](-).