Copper(II) complexes with an arylhydrazone of methyl 2-cyanoacetate as effective catalysts in the microwave-assisted oxidation of cyclohexane

Arylhydrazone based copper(II) complexes catalyse efficiently the oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone, under mild conditions and in the presence of tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP, 70% aq. solution) as oxidant, under low power microwave irradiation. [Display omitted] •Synthesis of a new water-soluble arylhydrazone copper(II) complex is reported.•Catalytic performance for the MW-assisted oxidation of cyclohexane is evaluated.•Selective C–H functionalization of cyclohexane by arylhydrazone copper(II) complexes. Reaction of sodium (E/Z)-2-(2-(1-cyano-2-methoxy-2-oxoethylidene)hydrazinyl)benzene-sulfonate (NaHL) with copper(II) nitrate hydrate in the presence of imidazole (im) in methanol affords [CuL(im)(H2O)] (1). Complex 1 is characterized by IR spectroscopy and ESI-MS spectrometry, elemental and single crystal X-ray crystal structural analyses. The coordination environment of the central copper(II) is nearly intermediate between ideal square-based pyramidal and trigonal bipyramidal geometry, three sites being occupied by the L2− ligand, which chelates in the O, N, O fashion, while two other sites are filled with the water and imidazole molecules. Extensive intermolecular hydrogen bonds between the L2−, water and imidazole ligands lead to a 3D supramolecular network. 1 and known Cu(II) complexes [Cu(H2O)2L]·H2O (2), [Cu(H2O)(py)L]·H2O (3) and [Cu3(µ3-OH)(NO3)(CH3OH)(µ2-X)3(µ2-HL)] (4) act as effective catalysts in the oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone, using low power microwave (MW) irradiation, under mild conditions. Without a promoter, the activity of the catalyst reached a turnover number of 1.44 × 103 and a turnover frequency of 1.98 × 103 h−1, after 2 h, at 50 °C.