Ruthenium acid

Asymmetric hydrogenation has been achieved with dissolved Wilkinson type catalysts (A. J. Birch, 1976 D. Valentine, Jr., 1978 H.B. Kagan, 1978). The (R)- and (S)-[l,l -binaph-thalene]-2,2 -diylblsCdiphenylphosphine] (= binap ) complexes of ruthenium (A. Miyashita, 1980) and rhodium (A. Miyashita, 1984 R. Noyori, 1987) have been prepared as pure atrop-isomers and used for the stereoselective Noyori hydrogenation of a-(acylamino) acrylic acids and, more significantly, -keto carboxylic esters. In the latter reaction enantiomeric excesses of more than 99% are often achieved (see also M. Nakatsuka, 1990, p. 5586). 

Internal alkynes are oxidized to acytoins by thalliuin(III) in acidic solution (A. McKil-lop, 1973 G.W. Rotermund, 1975) or to 1,2-diketones by permanganate or by in situ generated ruthenium tetroxide (D.G. Lee, 1969, 1973 H. Gopal, 1971). Terminal alkynes undergo oxidative degradation to carboxylic acids with loss of the terminal carbon atom with these oxidants. 

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). 

Ion implantation has also been used for the creation of novel catalyticaHy active materials. Ruthenium oxide is used as an electrode for chlorine production because of its superior corrosion resistance. Platinum was implanted in mthenium oxide and the performance of the catalyst tested with respect to the oxidation of formic acid and methanol (fuel ceU reactions) (131). The implantation of platinum produced of which a catalyticaHy active electrode, the performance of which is superior to both pure and smooth platinum. It also has good long-term stabiHty. The most interesting finding, however, is the complete inactivity of the electrode for the methanol oxidation. 

The residue, which contains Ir, Ru, and Os, is fused with sodium peroxide at 500°C, forming soluble sodium mthenate and sodium osmate. Reaction of these salts with chlorine produces volatile tetroxides, which are separated from the reaction medium by distillation and absorbed into hydrochloric acid. The osmium can then be separated from the mthenium by boiling the chloride solution with nitric acid. Osmium forms volatile osmium tetroxide mthenium remains in solution. Ruthenium and osmium can thus be separately purified and reduced to give the metals. 

Other Metals. Ruthenium, the least expensive of the platinum group, is the second best electrical conductor, has the hardest deposit, and has a high melting point. A general purpose bath uses 5.3 g/L of mthenium as the sulfamate salt with 8 g/L sulfamic acid, and is operated at 25—60°C with a pH of 1—2. Osmium has been plated from acid chloride solutions (130) and iridium from bromide solutions, but there are no known appHcations for these baths. 

A Belgian patent (178) claims improved ethanol selectivity of over 62%, starting with methanol and synthesis gas and using a cobalt catalyst with a hahde promoter and a tertiary phosphine. At 195°C, and initial carbon monoxide pressure of 7.1 MPa (70 atm) and hydrogen pressure of 7.1 MPa, methanol conversions of 30% were indicated, but the selectivity for acetic acid and methyl acetate, usehil by-products from this reaction, was only 7%. Ruthenium and osmium catalysts (179,180) have also been employed for this reaction. The addition of a bicycHc trialkyl phosphine is claimed to increase methanol conversion from 24% to 89% (181). 

Thus, Mathis et al. [1, 2] investigated oxidation reactions with 4-nitroperbenzoic acid, sodium hypobromite, osmium tetroxide and ruthenium tetroxide. Hamann et al. [3] employed phosphorus oxychloride in pyridine for dehydration. However, this method is accompanied by the disadvantages that the volume applied is increased because reagent has been added and that water is sometimes produced in the reaction and has to be removed before the chromatographic separation. 

Catalytic hydrogenation of tnfluoroacetic acid gives tnfluoroethanol in high yield [73], but higherperfluorocarboxybc acids and their anhydndes are reduced much more slowly over rhodium, iridium, platinum, or ruthenium catalysts [7J 74] (equation 61) Homogeneous catalysis efficiently produces tnfluoroethanol from tnfluoroacetate esters [75] (equation 61)... 

Oxidation of a mixture of perfluorononene isomers to a mixture of per-fluorocarboxylic acids is accomplished with two agents, potassium permanganate and ruthenium tetroxide. Oxidation with potassium permanganate is slower and gives lower yields than oxidation with ruthenium tetroxide [40] (equation 32). 

A high yield ot the resulting perfluorononanoic acid is obtained by the oxidation of (perfluorooctyl)ethylene with a small amount of ruthenium dioxide and an oxidant [41] (equation 33). 

Table 25.2 Standard reduction potentials for iron, ruthenium and osmium in acidic aqueous solution...

Ruthenium-ozyd, n. (any) ruthenium oxide, esp. the sesquioxide, ruthenium(III) oxide, -oxydul, n. ruthenium monoxide, ruthenium-(II) oxide, -saure, /. ruthenic acid, -ver-bindung, /. ruthenium compound. 

Ruthenium dioxide or ruthenium-on-carbon are effective catalysts for hydrogenation of mono- and dicarboxylic acids to the alcohol or glycol. High pressures (5,000-10,000 psig) and elevated temperatures (130-225 C) have been used in these hydrogenations 8,12,24). Yields of alcohol tend to be less than perfect because of esterification of the alcohol. Near quantitative yields of alcohol can be obtained by mixing ruthenium and copper chromite catalysts so as to reduce the ester as formed. 

Reductive alkylation by alcohol solvents may occur as an unwanted side reaction 22,39), and it is to avoid this reaction that Freifelder (20) recom mends ruthenium instead of nickel in pyridine hydrogenation. Alkylation by alcohols may occur with surprising ease 67). Reduction of 18 in ethanol over 10% palladium-on carbon to an amino acid, followed bycyclization with /V,/V-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide gave a mixture of 19 and 20 wiih the major product being the /V-ethyl derivative 49,50). By carrying out the reduction in acetic acid, 20 was obtained as the sole cyclized product 40). 

The extent of coupling is also influenced by the solvent. In the hydrogenation of aniline over ruthenium oxide, coupling decreased with solvent in the order methanol > ethanol > isopropanol > t-butanol. The rate was also lower in the lower alcohols, probably owing to the inhibiting effect of greater concentrations of ammonia (44). Carboxylic acid solvents increase the amount of coupling (42). 

Hydrogenation of 3-pyridinecarboxylic acids is apt to be accompanied by extensive decarboxylation (2S), but this unwanted reaction can be prevented by carrying out the reaction in the presence of one equivalent of base (33,79). Ruthenium (33), rhodium (29), platinum oxide (2S,59), and palladium (30) have all proved effective catalysts for reduction of pyridinecarboxylic acids to the saturated acid. 

The first example of homogeneous transition metal catalysis in an ionic liquid was the platinum-catalyzed hydroformylation of ethene in tetraethylammonium trichlorostannate (mp. 78 °C), described by Parshall in 1972 (Scheme 5.2-1, a)) [1]. In 1987, Knifton reported the ruthenium- and cobalt-catalyzed hydroformylation of internal and terminal alkenes in molten [Bu4P]Br, a salt that falls under the now accepted definition for an ionic liquid (see Scheme 5.2-1, b)) [2]. The first applications of room-temperature ionic liquids in homogeneous transition metal catalysis were described in 1990 by Chauvin et al. and by Wilkes et ak. Wilkes et al. used weekly acidic chloroaluminate melts and studied ethylene polymerization in them with Ziegler-Natta catalysts (Scheme 5.2-1, c)) [3]. Chauvin s group dissolved nickel catalysts in weakly acidic chloroaluminate melts and investigated the resulting ionic catalyst solutions for the dimerization of propene (Scheme 5.2-1, d)) [4]. 

---