The stoichiometric and catalytic oxidation of various substrates with a novel macrocyclic binuclear copper(I) dioxygen complex as an intermediate

The stoichiometric oxidations of hydroquinones, phenols, 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol and 3,4-dimethylaniline with a macrocyclic CuI dioxygen complex and with a CuII complex show that in some cases the substrate is oxidized both by the CuI dioxygen complex and by the corresponding CuII complex, while in other cases the CuII complex shows no activity; the combination of the CuI dioxygen complex and the CuII complex as oxidants results in catalytic oxidation of the substrate, but no catalysis is observed when only the CuI dioxygen complex is active.