A polymer-supported diacetatobis(2-quinolylbenzimidazole)copper(II) complex as an efficient catalyst for oxidation of alcohols with tert-butyl hydroperoxide

A polymer-supported diacetatobis(2-quinolylbenzimidazole)copper(II) complex [PS–(QBIM)2Cu(II)] was synthesized by functionalization of chloromethylated polystyrene cross-linked with 6.5 % divinyl benzene with 2-(2′-quinolyl)benzimidazole and subsequent treatment with Cu(OAc)2 in methanol. The complex was characterized by physical, analytical and spectroscopic techniques. Electronic and ESR spectra, together with magnetic susceptibility measurements, indicated that the complex was paramagnetic with distorted octahedral geometry around the copper. The complex was found to be active toward oxidation of various alcohols including phenol, benzyl alcohol and cyclohexanol using 70 % aqueous tert-butyl hydroperoxide under mild conditions. Under the optimized reaction conditions, cyclohexanol gave 100 % conversion to cyclohexanone, benzyl alcohol gave 98 % yield of benzaldehyde and phenol gave 89 % yield of catechol and 4 % of hydroquinone. The complex was recycled five times without much loss in catalytic activity.