Oxidation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons with Mono-Oxygen Donors Catalysed by Triaryl-Manganese(III) Corroles

The oxidation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) with mono-oxygen donors such as iodosylbenzene, hydrogen peroxide and tert-butyl hydroperoxide in the presence of selected 5,10,15-triaryl-manganese(III) corroles as catalysts were examined under different reaction conditions. The effect of reaction conditions on triaryl-manganese(III) corroles catalysts and oxidants is discussed. It was observed that in a solvent system consisting of a mixture of dichloromethane and acetonitrile, the oxidation of anthracene with tert-butyl hydroperoxide catalysed by tri(aryl)manganese(III)corroles worked better than with hydrogen peroxide or iodosylbenzene as the oxidants. The oxidation of anthracene with hydroxo-manganese(IV)corroles was also examined in organic solvents under mild conditions. UV-Vis and other spectroscopic data were used to determine the oxidative mechanism for the oxidation of anthracene and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with mono-oxygen donors catalysed by triaryl-manganese(III)corroles.