Ruthenium dioxide, alcohol oxidant

At one stage in our project we were surprised to learn that some workers had found difficulties in preparing the tetroxide from the dioxide, until we experienced the same trouble. This problem has now been resolved (3). Ruthenium dioxide is available commercially in both anhydrous and hydrated forms, the former being obtained by direct oxidation of ruthenium metal and the latter by a precipitation process. Only the hydrated form is oxidizable under the mild conditions (2,3) that we use and this form must be specified when purchasing the dioxide. It is noteworthy that the dioxide recovered from carbohydrate oxidations is always easily re-oxidized to the tetroxide. The stoichiometry has been determined of both the oxidation of the dioxide by periodate and reduction of the tetroxide which results on oxidation of an alcohol. 

The layer of titanium and ruthenium oxides usually is applied to a titanium substrate pyrolytically, by thermal decomposition (at a temperature of about 450°C) of an aqueous or alcoholic solution of the chlorides or of complex compounds of titanium and rathenium. The optimum layer composition corresponds to 25 to 30 atom % of ruthenium. The layer contains some quantity of chlorine its composition can be written as Ruq 2sTio 750(2- c)Cl r At this deposition temperature and Ru-Ti ratio, the layer is a poorly ordered solid solution of the dioxides of ruthenium and titanium. Chlorine is completely eliminated from the layer when this is formed at higher temperatures (up to 800°C), and the solid solution decomposes into two independent phases of titanium dioxide and ruthenium dioxide no longer exhibiting the unique catalytic properties. 

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)... 

L-Rhodinose (174) was prepared from the readily available L-rhamnose.269 The method required deoxygenation of C-2 and C-3 and inversion of configuration at C-4 (Scheme 56). Oxidation of 187 with ruthenium dioxide-IOj, followed by reduction of the keto groups with lithium aluminum hydride yielded the alcohol 188. After protection as the benzyl derivative, an alkenic linkage was... 

Hydrated ruthenium dioxide will act as a catalyst for the oxidation of primary allylic alcohols (equations 8 and 9) in an oxygen atmosphere (a trace of the antioxidant 2,6-di-r-butyl-4-methylphenol is required to prevent autoxidation of the aldehyde to the acid). The oxidation is not accompanied by any loss in double bond stereochemistry, secondary allylic alcohols are oxidized but at a decreased rate, and saturated alcohols are scarcely oxidized at all. However, a-hydroxy ketones and a-hydroxylactones will oxidize under forcing conditions, so there is clearly likely to some degree of substrate dependence. ... 

High yields of ketones result from the gentle oxidation of alcohols with compounds of ruthenium. Ruthenium tetroxide oxidizes cyclohexanol to cyclohexanone in carbon tetrachloride at room temperature in 93% yield [940], Instead of the rather expensive ruthenium tetroxide, which is required in stoichiometric amounts, catalytic amounts of ruthenium trichloride may be used in the presence of sodium hypochlorite as a reoxidant with the same results [701]. Sodium ruthenate [937] and potassium ruth-enate [196], which are prepared from ruthenium dioxide and sodium periodate in sodium hydroxide and from ruthenium trichloride and potassium persulfate, respectively, also effect oxidations to ketones at room temperature. 

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. 

The alcohol oxidations discussed above involve as a key step the oxidative dehydrogenation of the alcohol to form low-valent hydridoruthenium intermediates. On the other hand, high-valent oxoruthenium species are also able to dehydrogenate alcohols via an oxometal mechanism (see Figure 5.6). It has long been known that ruthenium tetroxide, generated by reaction of ruthenium dioxide with periodate, smoothly oxidizes a variety of alcohols to the corresponding carbonyl compounds [47]. 

Synthesis—The oxidizing system ruthenium dioxide-potassium periodate in aqueous acetone is recommended for the oxidation of primary alcohols to acids ester formation, normally a common side-reaction, is not observed. A method for the conversion of aldehydes into the homologous a-kcto-acids has been described (Scheme 1). 

Nitrosyl perchlorate Organic materials Perchloric acid Alcohols Permanganic acid Organic materials Peroxodisulfuric acid Organic liquids Potassium dioxide Ethanol Potassium perchlorate Ethanol Potassium permanganate Ethanol, etc. Ruthenium(VIII) oxide Organic materials Silver perchlorate Aromatic compounds Sodium peroxide Hydroxy compounds Uranium hexafluoride Aromatic hydrocarbons, etc. Uranyl perchlorate Ethanol See v-halomides Alcohols... 

Phosphorus pentafluoride Phosphorus pentasulfide Phosphorus pentoxide Phosphorus, red Phosphorus tribromide Phosphorus bichloride Water or steam Air, alcohols, water Formic acid, HF, inorganic bases, metals, oxidants, water Organic materials Potassium, ruthenium tetroxide, sodium, water Acetic acid, aluminum, chromyl dichloride, dimethylsulfoxide, hydroxylamine, lead dioxide, nitric acid, nitrous acid, organic matter, potassium, sodium water... 

Aldehyde 244 reacts with manganese dioxide and sodium cyanide in ethanol to give ethyl ester 245 (Scheme 19), while oxidation of alcohol 12 with sodium peroxodisulfate in the presence of a catalytic amount of ruthenium chloride furnishes the carboxylic acid 246 (Scheme 19) <1998CPB287>. 

Ruthenium(III) hydroxide is formed by the action of alkali on a solution of ruthenium(III) chloride. It is easily oxidized by air to the tetravalent state, The dioxide, R11O2, forms when the metal is heated in air. Hydrous ruthenium(IV) oxide can be precipitated by adding alcohol to a less than 3-M NaOH solution of ruthenium(VIII) oxide, followed by boiling. Above 3-complete reduction is not obtained. The hydrous oxide that is soluble in concentrated HQ tends to occlude impurities. 

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