Selective Alkane Hydroxylation in a Fluorous Solvent System Catalyzed by a Fluorocarbon-Soluble Transition-Metal Catalyst

Hydroxylation of aliphatic hydrocarbons requires highly reactive oxidants, but their strength can lead to undesired oxidation of the initially formed alcohols and solvents, undermining the product selectivity. To address these problems, we developed a novel catalytic system using fluorocarbon solvents. A cobalt complex supported by the fluorinated ligand,