PHOTOCHEMICAL AEROBIC OXIDATION OF ALKANES PROMOTED BY IRON COMPLEXES

Irradiation in air of an alkane MeCN/solution containing a catalytic a mount of FeCl3.6H(2)O yields an alkyl hydroperoxide, which in the cour se of the reaction gradually decomposes to give an alcohol and a keton e. The proposed mechanism involves photohomolysis of the Fe-Cl bond an d subsequent attack of the Cl-. radical on the C-H bond. If MeCN is re placed by water and the reaction is carried out in an emulsion, cycloh exane in the presence of an iron salt is transformed into cyclohexanon e and no cyclohexanol is detected by GLC.