Research challenges, selective oxidation

The above research revealed the challenges and difficulties in the selective oxidation of dihydroazaindole precursors. These results suggested that we needed to change the order of oxidation/C4-methylation and focus on introducing the C4-methoxy group prior to oxidation. 

Selective partial oxidation of hydrocarbons poses considerable challenges to contemporary research. While by no means all, most catalytic oxidations are based on transition-metal oxides as active intermediates, and the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene over potassium-promoted iron oxides at a scale of about 20 Mt/year may serve as an example [1]. Despite this... 

Hydrocarbon oxidation is a maj or field of research. Generally, the most challenging aspect is not the oxidation itself but to achieve selectivity towards alcohols and aldehydes/ketones. Hence a large number of reports on iron-catalyzed procedures have appeared in recent years. The major drawback of the present systems is their low activity, presumably due to decomposition of H202 in the presence of transition metals (catalase activity) and oxidative degradation of the catalyst. 

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