Fluoro-tagged osmium and iridium nanoparticles in oxidation reactions

© 2018 Elsevier Ltd Osmium and iridium metal nanoparticles were supported on a fluorous organic-inorganic hybrid material prepared by the sol-gel process. Moreover, we also found that the thermolysis of the Ir4(CO)12 cluster in simply diphenylether also gave Ir(0) nanoparticles. All the materials were studied as catalysts in oxidation processes. Fluoro-tagged iridium nanoparticles were particularly active in aerobic oxidation processes, whereby the catalytic activity could be greatly enhanced through a simple pre-activation procedure. With this material, benzylic alcohols could be oxidized under O2 balloon in the absence of a basic additive; the oxidative stopped selectively to the corresponding benzaldehyde. Promisingly, the same reaction conditions were used in a benzylic CH oxidation of xanthene.