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Updated: Apr 15, 2026

Palladium N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes: Synthesis from Benzimidazolium Salts and Catalytic Activity in Carbon-carbon Bond-forming Reactions
Published on: July 30, 2017
Palladium-Catalyzed Aerobic Acetoxylation of Benzene using NOx-Based Redox Mediators
Susan L Zultanski1, Shannon S Stahl1
1Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Ave., Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States.
Abstract:
Palladium-catalyzed methods for C-H oxygenation with O2 as the stoichiometric oxidant are limited. Here, we describe the use of nitrite and nitrate sources as NOx-based redox mediators in the acetoxylation of benzene. The conditions completely avoid formation of biphenyl as a side product, and strongly favor formation of phenyl acetate over nitrobenzene (PhOAc:PhNO2 ratios up to 40:1). Under the optimized reaction conditions, with 0.1 mol% Pd(OAc)2, 136 turnovers of Pd are achieved with only 1 atm of O2 pressure.
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