BIOMIMETIC OXIDATION STUDIES .7. ALKANE FUNCTIONALIZATION WITH A MMO STRUCTURAL MODEL, TRIS((1-METHYLIMIDAZOL-2-YL)METHYL)AMINE)2]3-BUTYL HYDROPEROXIDE AND OXYGEN GAS(, IN THE PRESENCE OF T)

A biomimetic structural model of the active site of methane monooxygen ase enzyme, O(OAc)(tris((1-methylimidazol)-2-methyl)amine2]3+, 1, has been shown to functionalize cyclohexane, toluene, adamantane, propane, and ethane in the presence of t-butyl hydroperoxide and oxygen gas. A mechanism is proposed to account for these results which implicates a n alkyl hydroperoxide intermediate to the alcohol, ketone, and aldehyd e products in an oxygen gas dependent reaction, while aldehyde and ket one products can also be formed from the further oxidation of the alco hols in an oxygen gas independent reaction.