ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Oxidation of triphenylphosphine by dioxygen in the presence of iron(III) perchlorate

I. Ondrejkovičová, V. Vančová, and G. Ondrejovič

Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of ChemicalTechnology, Slovak Technical University, CS-81237 Bratislava

Abstract: In the presence of iron(III) perchlorate triphenylphosphine is oxidized by dioxygen under mild conditions in acetonitrile solution to yield triphenylphosphine oxide. At the same time, Fe(III) is reduced to Fe(II) and a ferrous complex of composition Fe(OPPh₃)₄(ClO₄)₂ comes into existence. Perchloric acid is formed as a side product. The reaction exhibits stoichiometric course and the oxidation of triphenylphosphine proceeds as far as the mole ratio n(PPh₃):n(Fe) = 4 is reached. The cause why the generated Fe(II) complex does not act as a catalyst of the oxidation of triphenylphosphine is discussed in this paper.

Full paper in Portable Document Format: 451a35.pdf

Chemical Papers 45 (1) 35–40 (1991)