A planar binuclear cobalt() phthalocyanine as a highly efficient catalyst for the oxidation of a mercaptan

This paper reports on a binuclear Co( ii )Pc which exhibits a previously unknown extremely high catalytic activity for the oxidation of a thiol to the corresponding disulfide. The high activity is explained by an electronic contact between the two Co centres in the complex. A dramatic increase in the catalytic activity of cobalt( ii ) phthalocyanines in the mercaptan oxidation can be achieved on going from mononuclear to planar binuclear complexes.