Scope, Kinetics, and Mechanistic Aspects of Aerobic Oxidations Catalyzed by Ruthenium Supported on Alumina

Abstract

The Ru/Al 2 O 3 catalyst was prepared by modification of the preparation of Ru(OH)3⋅n H 2 O. The present Ru/Al 2 O 3 catalyst has high catalytic activities for the oxidations of activated, nonactivated, and heterocyclic alcohols, diols, and amines at 1 atm of molecular oxygen. Furthermore, the catalyst could be reused seven times without a loss of catalytic activity and selectivity for the oxidation of benzyl alcohol. A catalytic reaction mechanism involving a ruthenium alcoholate species and β‐hydride elimination from the alcoholate has been proposed. The reaction rate has a first‐order dependence on the amount of catalyst, a fractional order on the concentration of benzyl alcohol, and a zero order on the pressure of molecular oxygen. These results and kinetic isotope effects indicate that β‐elimination from the ruthenium alcoholate species is a rate‐determining step.