Cyclometalated Iridium(III) Complexes Containing Benzoxazole Derivatives and Different Ancillary Ligands for Catalytic Oxidation of Toluene

A series of cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes that have the general formula [(C^N)₂Ir(NR)(X)] (C^N = monoanionic bidentate cyclometalating ligands; NR = pyridine derivatives; X = Cl^− or I^−) are designed, prepared, and applied for the transformation of toluene to benzaldehyde using a clean, highly efficient, and environmentally-friendly process. The activation energies that are needed for the catalytic oxidation of toluene when using these complexes as catalysts are quite low: between 22.9 and 30.8 kcal mol^−1. The catalytic frequencies (TOF) are fairly high (up to 7.0 × 10² h^−1) with excellent reliability, and the turnover number (TON) can reach 4.2 × 10³ after 6 h of processing time. Catalytic tests, X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES), and kinetic modeling are used to derive detailed insights into the characteristics of the catalysts and their effects on the reactions that are featured in the catalytic oxidation of toluene.