Metalloporphyrins in the biomimetic oxidative valorization of natural and other organic substrates

Cheap and abundant natural products can be transformed into products of higher commercial value. One of the approaches for the functionalization of organic compounds is their oxidation in the presence of an oxygen atom donor, under the influence of a suitable catalyst. Metalloporphyrins, with structures based on the well known meso-tetraphenylporphyrin (TPPH2), are amongst the catalysts commonly studied and have demonstrated to be efficient in the oxygenation of organic compounds. These transformations have been studied in the presence of different oxygen atom donors. However, our biomimetic oxidative approach is based on the use of clean and environmentally benign hydrogen peroxide in the presence of metalloporphyrins. This approach will be outlined in this review.