Manganese( II ) based oxidation of alkanes: generation of a high valent binuclear catalyst in situ

The efficiently Mn2+-catalysed oxidation of saturated hydrocarbons by alkylhydroperoxides or iodosylbenzene in the presence of 2,2′-bipyridine in acetonitrile follows the following pathway: Mn2++ bipy →[Mn(bipy)3]2+→[Mn2O2(bipy)4]3+, the latter being identified as the catalytic species; it affords cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone in equal amounts and the remarkable robustness of the active complex, under oxidative conditions, is noted.