Ruthenium-Based Catalysts for Aerobic Oxidation of Alcohols - Transition Metal Catalysis in Aerobic Alcohol Oxidation - page 70

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CHAPTER 3
Ruthenium-Based Catalysts for
Aerobic Oxidation of Alcohols

TERUYUKI KONDO,* a YU KIMURA, b HISATSUGU YAMADA a
AND AKIO TOSHIMITSU c

a Advanced Biomedical Engineering Research Unit, Center for the
Promotion of Interdisciplinary Education and Research, Kyoto University,
Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, 615-8510, Japan; b Research and Educational
Unit of Leaders for Integrated Medical System, Center for the Promotion
of Interdisciplinary Education and Research, Kyoto University, Katsura,
Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, 615-8510, Japan; c Division of Multidisciplinary
Chemistry, Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Gokanosho,
Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan
*Email: [e-mail]

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3.1 Homogeneous Ruthenium-Based Catalysts

3.1.1 Introduction
The selective oxidation of alcohols to carbonyl compounds, such as aldehydes
and ketones, is a ubiquitous and pivotal reaction in organic synthesis both in
the laboratory and in the chemical industry, 1,2 since carbonyl compounds are
important building blocks for medicines, agricultural chemicals, fragrances
and many others. 3 Traditionally, oxidation of alcohols has been performed
with non-catalytic procedures with stoichiometric inorganic oxidants, repre-
sented by CrO 3 ,KMnO 4 ,MnO 2 and SeO 2 . 4 However, these oxidation methods
have serious drawbacks, such as their cost and the production of environ-
mentally hazardous/toxic metal salts as waste. In order to minimize waste