Alcohols, secondary, oxidation with ruthenium tetroxide

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 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... 

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... 

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]. 

Besides ruthenium tetroxide, other ruthenium salts, such as ruthenium trichloride hydrate, may be used for oxidation of carbon-carbon double bonds. Addition of acetonitrile as a cosolvent to the carbon tetrachloride-water biphase system markedly improves the effectiveness and reliability of ruthenium-catalyzed oxidations. For example, RuCl3 H20 in conjunction with NaI04 in acetonitrile-CCl4-H20 oxidizes (Ej-S-decene to pentanoic acid in 88% yield. Ruthenium salts may also be employed for oxidations of primary alcohols to carboxylic acids, secondary alcohols to ketones, and 1,2-diols to carboxylic acids under mild conditions at room temperature, as exemplified below. However, in the absence of such readily oxidized functional groups, even aromatic rings are oxidized. 

A very efficient method for the oxidation of secondary alcohols to ketones makes use of sodium bromate in the presence of ruthenium dioxide. Quantitative yields are obtained in 15 min at 25°C. Pulsed irradiation, with a 20% duty cycle, was used in addition to stirring. It appears that the sonochemical rate increase is due to two factors the acceleration of the oxidation of ruthenium dioxide to the actual reactive species ruthenium tetroxide, and the very efficient ultrasonic emulsification of the biphasic carbon tetrachloride-water system. 

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