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Synlett 2005(18): 2859-2860  
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-918920
SPOTLIGHT
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Copper(II) Acetylacetonate: An Inexpensive Multifunctional Catalyst

Antonio Carlos Bender Burtoloso*
Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, UNICAMP, C.P. 6154, CEP. 13083-970, Campinas, São Paulo, Brasil
e-Mail: burtoloso@iqm.unicamp; e-Mail: burtoloso@hotmail.com;
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Publication History

Publication Date:
10 October 2005 (online)

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Introduction

Copper(II) acetylacetonate [Cu(acac)2] (Figure 1) is a ­soluble copper catalyst that has been widely employed in many types of reactions. It can be readily and easily prepared [1] from the reaction of acetylacetone with ­copper(II) sulfate in aqueous basic solution, and is ­isolated as a blue solid.

Figure 1 Copper(II) acetylacetonate

Although Cu(acac)2 has been mostly used as catalyst in different reactions involving diazocompounds, [2] it is also described as a catalyst for other types of reactions such as benzylation of alcohols, [3] reduction of aromatic nitro ­compounds, [4] aziridination, [5] [6] and epoxidation. [6] The easy access and low cost of copper(II) acetylacetonate, to­gether with its varied applications as catalyst, make Cu(acac)2 a powerful reagent in organic synthesis.

    References

  • Preparation of Cu(acac)2: Copper(II) acetylacetonate was prepared by reaction of CuSO4 with equimolar quantities of acetylacetone and NaOH in aqueous solution. After the subsequent addition of acetylacetone (1 equiv) and CuSO4·H2O (0.5 equiv) in basic solution with stirring, a blue precipitate was obtained. The precipitate was filtered, dried in vacuum and recrystallized from glacial AcOH to give blue needles:
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