US EPA

8707766 

Journal Article 

Photochemical oxidation of saturated and alkylaromatic hydrocarbons by atmospheric oxygen in CH3CN or CH2Cl2 solution, catalyzed by iron(III) halides 

Shul'Pin, GB; Kats, MM 

1991 

1 

Petroleum Chemistry
ISSN: 0965-5441
EISSN: 1531-8532 

31 

5 

647-656 

English 

https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0038276156&partnerID=40&md5=14d55f7646a0ea279231ec318bbebb74
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Light irradiation in air of solutions of hydrocarbons in acetonitrile in the presence of catalytic amounts of FeCl3 leads to the formation of the corresponding alcohols and carbonyl compounds. The reaction proceeds in a similar manner in methylene chloride (with the addition of alkylammonium chloride for dissolution of iron salt), and here, besides oxygenation products, alkyl chlorides are produced. In the presence of photocatalyst FeBr3, ethyl benzene gives 1-phenylethanol, acetophenone and benzaldehyde, while cyclohexane is not oxidized under these conditions. However, cyclohexane can be oxygenated if hydroquinone is added to the reaction solution. The mechanism proposed includes photohomolysis of the iron-halogen bond and detachment of the hydrogen atom by a halogen radical from RH with the formation of R•, which, adding O2, yields ROO•. The latter (and/or O2) re-oxidizes the catalytic complex. 1992.