An osmium(III)/osmium(V) redox couple generating Os(V)(O)(OH) center for cis-1,2-dihydroxylation of alkenes with H2O2: Os complex with a nitrogen-based tetradentate ligand.

For the synthesis of the 1,2-diols, cis-1,2-dihydroxylation of alkenes catalyzed by osmium(VIII) tetroxide (OsO(4)) is a powerful method. However, OsO(4) is quite toxic due to its highly volatile and sublimable nature. Thus, the development of alternative catalysts for cis-1,2-dihydroxylation of alkenes is highly challenging. Our approach involves the use of a nitrogen-based tetradentate ligand, tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (tpa), for an osmium center to develop a new osmium catalyst and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) as a cheap and environmentally benign oxidant. The new Os-tpa complex acts as a very efficient turnover catalyst for syn-selective dihydroxylation of various alkenes (turnover number ∼1000) in aqueous media, and H(2)O(2) oxidant is formally incorporated into the products quantitatively (100% atom efficiency). The reaction intermediates involved in the catalytic cycle have been isolated and characterized crystallographically as [Os(III)(OH)(H(2)O)(tpa)](2+) and [Os(V)(O)(OH)(tpa)](2+) complexes. The observed syn-selectivity, structural characteristics of the intermediates, and kinetic studies have suggested a concerted [3 + 2]-cycloaddition mechanism between [Os(V)(O)(OH)(tpa)](2+) and alkenes, which is strongly supported by DFT calculations.