Magnetically recoverable CuFe_2O_4 nanoparticles as highly active catalysts for Csp~3-Csp and Csp~3-Csp~ 3 oxidative cross-dehydrogenative coupling

摘要

This study probes the versatility of [metal] ferrite {[M]Fe _2O_4} nanoparticles as an effective catalyst platform for oxidative cross-dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) by comparing the reactivity of simple magnetite (Fe_3O_4) with that of the copper-substituted analogue, copper ferrite (CuFe_2O_4). In either case, the iron within the lattice enables magnetic recovery of the nanoparticles, simplifying the process of catalyst recycling. Both iron and copper effectively catalyze the CDC of two sp3 carbons, while copper provides reactivity that iron cannot: activation of sp-hybridized carbons for coupling to sp~3 centers.