Ruthenium Tetroxide, RuO

This was the first oxidant of Ru to be discovered and is stiU one of the most important and versatile. The coverage here and in subsequent chapters of organic oxidations by this reagent does not claim to be fully comprehensive but it is hoped that most of the major applications have been included. It is perhaps the most celebrated compound of Ru as an oxidant, although it does in general lack selectivity in its oxidation reactions. Its CAS number is 20427-56-9. 

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Ruthenium tetroxide, RuO, is more reactive staining agent that can be used to differentiate between rubber and matrix when the former is essentially saturated. For example, clean glass slides (50 x 10 mm) were dipped in 2 wt% solutions of polymer and the solvent was subsequently evaporated under vacuum at 50°C (323 K) for 24 h. The films were removed from the glass... 

Aliphatic alcohols can be oxidized to ketones, aldehydes, or carboxylic acids using oxoruthenium(IV)complexes as redox catalyst or clectrogenerated ruthenium tetroxide In the latter case, a double mediator system is used in which an electrochemically generated active chlorine species (Cl or CP ) oxidizes RuO to RUO4 (Eq. (29)). 

Both alcohols and aldehydes can be oxidised to carboxylic acids using ruthenium tetroxide an efficient, two-phase (CCl4-aq.NaCl) electro-oxidation method has been developed for the generation of RuO which could be especially useful for oxidations of carbohydrate derivatives, partly protected as acetonides.5 Zinc dichromate... 

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