Synthesis, Structural, and Electrochemical Studies of Cr(III) Coordination Compound With Guanidine‐Hydrazone Ligand and Its Catalytic Activity in the Oxidation of Benzyl Alcohol

ABSTRACT A novel mononuclear Cr(III) coordination compound, [Cr(HL)(N 3 ) 2 ], was synthesized by the reaction of CrCl 3 ·6H 2 O and NaN 3 with the Schiff base ligand (H 3 L‐Cl). The synthesized ligand and [Cr(HL)(N 3 ) 2 ] were characterized by spectroscopic methods. Single‐crystal X‐ray analysis was also accomplished to confirm the structure of the synthesized Cr(III) compound. According to the results of X‐ray analysis, this compound crystallizes in the triclinic system with P‐1 space group and the CrN 6 coordination environment around the Cr(III) ion can be described as a distorted octahedral geometry. The catalytic activity of [Cr(HL)(N 3 ) 2 ] was investigated in the oxidation of benzyl alcohol in presence of hydrogen peroxide. The effects of various parameters were investigated, such as the amount of catalyst, the concentration of oxidant, temperature and solvent. The results show that [Cr(HL)(N 3 ) 2 ] has high activity and stability in the investigated oxidation reaction and could selectively convert benzyl alcohol into benzaldehyde. The electrochemical behaviors of the ligand and [Cr(HL)(N 3 ) 2 ] were also investigated by cyclic voltammetry.