Alcohols oxidation with ruthenium tetroxide

Sodium periodate (sodium metaperiodate), NaI04 (mp 300 °C dec), which is commercially available, is applied mainly in aqueous or aqueous-alcoholic solutions. Like the free periodic acid, sodium periodate cleaves vicinal diols to carbonyl compounds [762], This reaction is especially useful in connection with potassium permanganate [763, 764] or osmium tetroxide [765], Such mixed oxidants oxidize alkenes to carbonyl compounds or carboxylic acids, evidently by way of vicinal diols as intermediates. Sulfides are transformed by sodium periodate into sulfoxides [322, 323, 766, 767, 768, 769, 770, 771, 772], and selenides are converted into selenoxides [773]. Sodium periodate is also a reoxidant of lower valency ruthenium in oxidations with ruthenium tetroxide [567, 774],... 

This cycloaddition-reduction-hydrolysis sequence was also used in an approach to butyrolactones related to ribonolactone (71). These compounds are inducing agents of hunger and satiety in mammalians. Here, a subsequent aldol 1,3-diol reduction was used, and the required carboxy function was established by oxidation of the aromatic ring with ruthenium tetroxide. Cycloaddition of benzonitrile oxide to allyl alcohol afforded an enantiomeric mixture of isoxazolines 55 and 56, which were treated with sodium hydride and methyl iodide to achieve separation by chromatography on cellulose triacetate (71). 0-Demethylation, followed by... 

Where functional groups are present which are more readily oxidized than the ether group, multiple reactions can occur. For example, in their total synthesis of (-i-)-tutin and (-i-)-asteromurin A, Yamada et al. observed concomitant oxidation of a secondary alcohol function in the oxidation of the ether (30) with ruthenium tetroxide (equation 24). The same group successfully achieved the simultaneous oxidation of both ether functions of the intermediate (31) in their related stereocontrolled syntheses of (-)-picrotox-inin and (-i-)-coriomyrtin (equation 25). Treatment of karahana ether (32) with excess ruthenium tetroxide resulted in the formation of the ketonic lactone (33) via oxidation of both the methylene group adjacent to the ether function and the exocyclic alkenic group (equation 26). In contrast, ruthenium tetroxide oxidation of the steroidal tetral drofuran (34) gave as a major product the lactone (35) in which the alkenic bond had been epoxidized. A small amount of the 5,6-deoxylactone (17%) was also isolated (equation 27). This transformation formed the basis of a facile introduction of the ecdysone side chain into C-20 keto steroids. 

The oxidation of alcohols with ruthenium tetroxide prepared by oxidation of ruthenium trichloride hydrate with sodium bromate takes place at room temperature. However, aldehydes may undergo further oxidation to carboxylic acids [940]. 

The use of electricity in reactions is clean and, at least in some cases, can produce no waste. Toxic heavy metal ions need not be involved in the reaction. Hazardous or expensive reagents, if needed, can be generated in situ where contact with them will not occur. The actual oxidant is used in catalytic amounts, with its reduced form being reoxidized continuously by the electricity. In this way, 1 mol% of ruthenium(III) chloride can be used in aqueous sodium chloride to oxidize benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde at 25°C in 80% yield. The benzaldehyde can, in turn, be oxidized to benzoic acid by the same system in 90% yield.289 The actual oxidant is ruthenium tetroxide. Naphthalene can be oxidized to naphthoquinone with 98% selectivity using a small amount of cerium salt in aqueous methanesulfonic acid when the cerium(III) that forms is reoxidized to cerium(IV) electrically.290 Substituted aromatic compounds can be oxidized to the corresponding phenols electrically with a platinum electrode in trifluoroacetic acid, tri-ethylamine, and methylene chloride.291 With ethyl benzoate, the product is a mixture of 44 34 22 o/m/fhhy-... 

The conversion of primary alcohols and aldehydes into carboxylic acids is generally possible with all strong oxidants. Silver(II) oxide in THF/water is particularly useful as a neutral oxidant (E.J. Corey, 1968 A). The direct conversion of primary alcohols into carboxylic esters is achieved with MnOj in the presence of hydrogen cyanide and alcohols (E.J. Corey, 1968 A,D). The remarkably smooth oxidation of ethers to esters by ruthenium tetroxide has been employed quite often (D.G. Lee, 1973). Dibutyl ether affords butyl butanoate, and tetra-hydrofuran yields butyrolactone almost quantitatively. More complex educts also give acceptable yields (M.E. Wolff, 1963). 

Another reagent that finds application of oxidations of alcohols to ketones is ruthenium tetroxide. The oxidations are typically carried out using a catalytic amount of the ruthenium source, e.g., RuC13, with NaI04 or NaOCl as the stoichiometric oxidant.16 Acetonitrile is a favorable solvent because of its ability to stabilize the ruthenium species that are present.17 For example, the oxidation of 1 to 2 was successfully achieved with this reagent after a number of other methods failed. 

The ruthenium tetroxide dioxide catalytic system is effective for the oxidation of alkanols, although it will also react with any alkene groups or amine substituents that are present. The catalyst can be used in aqueous acetonitrile containing tetra-butylammonium hydroxide with platinum electrodes in an undivided cell Primary alcohols are oxidised to the aldehyde and secondary alcohols to the ketone [30]. Anodic oxidation of ruthenium dioxide generates the tetroxide, which is the effective oxidising agent. 

In another procedure, oxidation is carried out in the presence of chloride ions and ruthenium dioxide [31]. Chlorine is generated at the anode and this oxidises ruthenium to the tetroxide level. The reaction medium is aqueous sodium chloride with an inert solvent for the alkanol. Ruthenium tetroxide dissolves in the organic layer and effects oxidation of the alkanol. An undivided cell is used so that the chlorine generated at the anode reacts with hydroxide generated at the cathode to form hypochlorite. Thus this electrochemical process is equivalent to the oxidation of alkanols by ruthenium dioxide and a stoichiometric amount of sodium hypochlorite. Secondary alcohols are oxidised to ketones in excellent yields. 1,4- and 1,5-Diols with at least one primary alcohol function, are oxidised to lactones while... 

Another reagent that finds application in oxidations of alcohols to ketones is ruthenium tetroxide. For example, the oxidation of 1 to 2 was successfully achieved with this reagent after a number of other methods failed. 

A vanety of secondary alcohols with terminal trifluoromethyl group are oxidized by the Dess-Martin periodinane reagent [52 53] (equation 48) Conversion of l,6-anhydro-4-0-benzyl-2 deoxy 2-fluoro-p-D-glucopyranose to the corresponding oxo derivative is earned out by ruthenium tetroxide generated in situ from ruthenium dioxide [54] (equation 49)... 

Ruthenium tetroxide readily converts secondary alcohols to the corresponding ketone, and primary alcohols to aldehydes and acids.288,294 It is particularly recommended for converting alcohols which are difficult to oxidize with other reagents, for example, the hydroxylactone (105a) in equation (112).325... 

Cyclic sulfites (68) also are opened by nucleophiles, although they are less reactive than cyclic sulfates and require higher reaction temperatures for the opening reaction. Cyclic sulfite 77, in which the hydroxamic ester is too labile to withstand ruthenium tetroxide oxidation of the sulfite, is opened to 78 in 76% yield by reaction with lithium azide in hot DMF [82], Cyclic sulfite 79 is opened with nucleophiles such as azide ion [83] or bromide ion [84], by using elevated temperatures in polar aprotic solvents. Structures such as 80 generally are not isolated but as in the case of 80 are carried on (when X = N3) to amino alcohols [83] or (when X = Br) to maleates [84] by reduction. Yields are good and for compounds unaffected by the harsher conditions needed to achieve the displacement reaction, use of the cyclic sulfite eliminates the added step of oxidation to the sulfate. 

Ruthenium tetroxide, generated in situ from a suspension of the dioxide in CCI4, by adding aqueous sodium metaperiodate, appears to be an excellent reagent for the oxidation of secondary alcohols in neutral or basic media. t-Amyl or cumyl hydroperoxide, with molybdenum pentachloride, readily oxidizes steroidal alcohols cholesterol affords the 5a-hydroxy-3,6-dione in good yield. ... 

Sodium hypochlorite is used for the epoxidation of double bonds [659, 691] for the oxidation of primary alcohols to aldehydes [692], of secondary alcohols to ketones [693], and of primary amines to carbonyl compounds [692] for the conversion of benzylic halides into acids or ketones [690] for the oxidation of aromatic rings to quinones [694] and of sulfides to sulfones [695] and, especially, for the degradation of methyl ketones to carboxylic acids with one less carbon atom [655, 696, 697, 695, 699] and of a-amino acids to aldehydes with one less carbon [700]. Sodium hypochlorite is also used for the reoxidation of low-valence ruthenium compounds to ruthenium tetroxide in oxidations by ruthenium trichloride [701]. 

Sodium ruthenate, Na2Ru04, is prepared in situ from ruthenium tetroxide (in solution in carbon tetrachloride) and 1 M sodium hydroxide by shaking for 2 h at room temperature. The reagent remains in the aqueous layer, which acquires bright-orange color [937]. It oxidizes primary alcohols to carboxylic acids and secondary alcohols to ketones and is comparable with but stronger than potassium ferrate [937]. 

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