MOLECULAR-OXYGEN AS ENVIRONMENTAL ACCEPTABLE, SELECTIVE AND THE MOST STRONG OXIDANT IN LIQUID-PHASE OXIDATION

Innovative catalytic processes based on oxidation of anionic forms of organic substrates (mainly oxi- and oro-derivatives) by dioxygen open up new perspectives in environmentally acceptable production of a wide range of products. A new catalytic system, in many cases, permits to refuse the use of ecologically dangerous oxidising agents such as nitr ic acid, hypochlorite, permanganate without loss in the selectivity an d the rate of processes. Distinctive feature of the proposed catalytic system consists, apparently, in simultaneous transfer of two electron s from the anionic form of the substrate coordinated on a Me(n+) centr e to molecular oxygen. This permits the latter to react as a most stro ng and selective oxidant in contrast with wide distributed auto-oxidat ion processes which proceed via a thermodynamically unfavourable one-e lectron pathway of dioxygen reduction. The proposed oxidation mechanis ms are tested using several oxidation processes interesting from a pra ctical point of view.