Jianglei Hu

Preparation of a 2,2′-(4-nitrophenyl)dipyrromethane copper coordination compound and its catalytic behavior for phenol hydroxylation

With 2,2′-(4-nitrophenyl)dipyrromethane and copper acetate as raw materials, a 2,2′-(4-nitrophenyl)dipyrromethane copper coordination compound was successfully synthesized in methanol solution. The complex was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, elemental analysis and mass spectrometry to evidence formation of the coordination binding between the pyrrole ring units and the copper ion. This complex was applied to catalyze phenol hydroxylation, and the key reaction parameters on the catalytic activity and selectivity were investigated. The study paves the way for exploring high efficient catalyst for phenol hydroxylation. After three catalytic runs, the copper complex also kept excellent activity.