Oxidation of alkylaromatics with hydrogen peroxide catalysed by manganese(III) porphyrins in the presence of ammonium acetate

The oxidation of toluene (1), ethylbenzene (2) and cumene (3) with hydrogen peroxide, in the presence of several manganese(III) porphyrins with electron-withdrawing substituents, was studied using ammonium acetate as a co-catalyst. All products were characterised and their formation was justified by studying the oxidation of primary precursors, under the same conditions. The formation of the nitrate compounds was shown to be dependent on the presence of ammonium acetate. The oxidation of cumene and ethylbenzene afford products resulting from dehydrogenation reactions.