EXPLORATION OF COPPER-BASED COORDINATION POLYMER AS CATALYST: HIGH YIELD OXIDATIVE COUPLING OF BENZYLAMINE TO IMINE

Benzylamine to imine conversion through oxidative coupling reaction has been achieved with almost 91% yield under very mild conditions by applying a one-dimensional coordination polymer as a catalyst and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) as an oxidizing agent. The 1D-coordination polymer, [{Cu2(2,3-pydc)2(2,2ʹ-bpy) (H2O)2}.4H2O]n(A) has been re-synthesized by different synthetic process using the ligands 2,3- pyridinedicarboxylic acid (2,3-pydc) and 2,2Ꞌ-bipyridine (2,2Ꞌ-bpy) and it has been characterized by utilizing different physicochemical techniques such as IR-spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, elemental analysis and TGDTA analysis including reestablishment of X-ray single crystal structure. The proposed mechanism of the reaction indicates that the catalytic reaction is facilitated by a flexible and coordinatively unsaturated Cu(II) center and through the formation of tert-butyl peroxy radical.