Non‐Heme Iron Catalysts with a Rigid Bis‐Isoindoline Backbone and Their Use in Selective Aliphatic C−H Oxidation

Iron complexes derived from a bis‐isoindoline‐bis‐pyridine ligand platform based on the BPBP ligand (BPBP=N,N′‐bis(2‐picolyl)‐2,2′‐bis‐pyrrolidine) have been synthesized and applied in selective aliphatic C−H oxidation with hydrogen peroxide under mild conditions. The introduction of benzene moieties on the bis‐pyrrolidine backbone leads to an increased preference of tertiary over secondary C−H bond oxidation (3°/2° ratio up to 33). On the other hand, substituting the meta‐position of the pyridines with bulky silyl groups affords enhanced secondary C−H oxidation selectivity and generally leads to higher product yields and mass balances.