Cu-Methylsilsesquioxane Cage Decorated with Cu(dppe) Moieties for Mild Oxidative Functionalization of Alkanes.

We report a high nuclear (Cu) complex synthesized via the self-assembly of copper-methylsilsesquioxane induced by the complexation with 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (dppe). The structure includes two cationic Cu(dppe) moieties and an anionic silsesquioxane cage of an unprecedented Cu structural type. The Cu cage fragment exhibits a unique () combination of Si-cyclic/Si-acyclic silsesquioxane ligands and () encapsulation of two different chloride and carbonate species. This complex acts as a promising precatalyst in the mild oxidation and carboxylation of light alkanes to produce alkyl hydroperoxides, alcohols, ketones, or carboxylic acids. The present study widens the family of copper-methylsilsesquioxane clusters with prospective use in oxidation catalysis.