Oxidative Cleavage and Ammoxidation of C–S Bonds by Cobalt/N-Doped Carbon Catalyst

Key words

cobalt catalysis - oxidative cleavage - ammoxidation - organosulfur

Significance

A cobalt/N-doped carbon catalyst (Co-NC-900) was found to promote the oxidative cleavage of thiols, sulfides and aryl benzyl sulfides with aqueous NH₃ as the nitrogen source under O₂ to give the corresponding nitriles in ≤95% GC yield (eq. 1). This catalytic system also promoted the ammoxidation of benzyl thiols, sulfoxides, and sulfones with NH₃ to give the corresponding benzamide in up to 98% GC yield (eq. 2).

Comment

The authors have previously reported the preparation of Co-NC-900 and its application to the aerobic oxidative successive C–C bond cleavage of alcohols to ester (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, 59, 19268). In the oxidative cleavage reaction of phenylmethanethiol, the catalyst was recovered by filtration and reused five times without significant loss of its catalytic activity.

Publication History

Article published online:
14 July 2023