TY - JOUR
T1 - Harnessing applied potential to oxidation in water
AU - Buckley, Benjamin R.
AU - Chan, Yohan
AU - Dreyfus, Nicolas
AU - Elliott, Claire
AU - Marken, Frank
AU - Bulman Page, Philip C.
PY - 2012/1/1
Y1 - 2012/1/1
N2 - Oxidation is one of the most important types of transformation in chemistry, and practical mild oxidation without added reagents or solvents has been a long-standing challenge. We have developed a highly practical solvent-free (biphasic) electrochemically driven oxidation system for the selective conversion of sulfides to the corresponding sulfoxides, and alkenes to the corresponding epoxides, in a very simple reactor system. Excellent yields are obtained for a variety of substrates, and neither over-oxidation to sulfone nor formation of diol by-products from alkene oxidation is observed. This simple system has excellent potential for scale-up, requires no storing or transport of stoichiometric oxidants, no heavy metals, and can be carried out with just water, sodium carbonate, hydrochloric acid, and an applied potential in a single cell. The electrolyte solution can be recycled and reused with no loss in activity.
AB - Oxidation is one of the most important types of transformation in chemistry, and practical mild oxidation without added reagents or solvents has been a long-standing challenge. We have developed a highly practical solvent-free (biphasic) electrochemically driven oxidation system for the selective conversion of sulfides to the corresponding sulfoxides, and alkenes to the corresponding epoxides, in a very simple reactor system. Excellent yields are obtained for a variety of substrates, and neither over-oxidation to sulfone nor formation of diol by-products from alkene oxidation is observed. This simple system has excellent potential for scale-up, requires no storing or transport of stoichiometric oxidants, no heavy metals, and can be carried out with just water, sodium carbonate, hydrochloric acid, and an applied potential in a single cell. The electrolyte solution can be recycled and reused with no loss in activity.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84864185979&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c2gc35238a
U2 - 10.1039/c2gc35238a
DO - 10.1039/c2gc35238a
M3 - Article
SN - 1463-9262
VL - 14
SP - 2221
EP - 2225
JO - Green Chemistry
JF - Green Chemistry
IS - 8
ER -