V. Vidal et al., ACTIVATION AND FUNCTIONALIZATION OF THE C-H BONDS OF METHANE AND HIGHER ALKANES BY A SILICA-SUPPORTED TANTALUM HYDRIDE COMPLEX, Journal of the Chemical Society, Chemical Communications, (10), 1995, pp. 991-992
Silica-supported tantalum hydride activates at low temperature the C-H
and the C-D bonds of cyclooctane and CD4, respectively, to form the c
orresponding cyclooctyl and perdeuteriomethyl-tantalum surface complex
es; these complexes are transformed under molecular oxygen into the co
rresponding tantalum-alkoxy derivatives which with acetic acid give ri
se to the corresponding alkylacetates.