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Noncovalent Immobilization of Molecular Electrocatalysts for Chemical Synthesis: Efficient Electrochemical Alcohol Oxidation with a Pyrene–TEMPO Conjugate
Author(s) -
Das Amit,
Stahl Shan S.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.201704921
Subject(s) - catalysis , alcohol oxidation , pyrene , cyclic voltammetry , chemistry , electrolysis , redox , bulk electrolysis , electrochemistry , electrocatalyst , combinatorial chemistry , photochemistry , organic chemistry , electrode , electrolyte
Abstract Electrocatalytic methods for organic synthesis could offer sustainable alternatives to traditional redox reactions, but strategies are needed to enhance the performance of molecular catalysts designed for this purpose. The synthesis of a pyrene‐tethered TEMPO derivative (TEMPO=2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidinyl‐ N ‐oxyl) is described, which undergoes facile in situ noncovalent immobilization onto a carbon cloth electrode. Cyclic voltammetry and controlled potential electrolysis studies demonstrate that the immobilized catalyst exhibits much higher activity relative to 4‐acetamido–TEMPO, an electronically similar homogeneous catalyst. In preparative electrolysis experiments with a series of alcohol substrates and the immobilized catalyst, turnover numbers and frequencies approach 2 000 and 4 000 h −1 , respectively. The synthetic utility of the method is further demonstrated in the oxidation of a sterically hindered hydroxymethylpyrimidine precursor to the blockbuster drug, rosuvastatin.