Biologically Inspired C-H and C=C Oxidations with Hydrogen Peroxide Catalyzed by Iron Coordination Complexes

The development of catalysts for the selective oxidation of readily available hydrocarbons or organic precursors into oxygenated products is a long-standing goal in organic synthesis. In the last decade, some iron coordination complexes have shown the potential to fit this role. These catalysts can mimic the O-O activation mode of far more sophisticated iron oxygenase enzymes, generating powerful yet selective oxidants. In this review, we report state-of-the-art C-H and C=C oxidations catalyzed by non-heme iron complexes and H₂ O₂ as the oxidant. Finally, we briefly describe some novel oxidative reactivity and the perspectives of this chemistry.