Ruthenium on Carbon Catalysed Carbon-Carbon Cleavage of Aryl Alkyl Ketones and Aliphatic Aldehydes in Aqueous Media

摘要

A new ruthenium on carbon-catalysed carbon-carbon (C-C) cleavage reaction of aryl alkyl ketone derivatives in water in the presence of CaO under atmospheric oxygen conditions has been developed. Corresponding benzoic acid derivatives were produced from various aryl alkyl ketones in excellent yields. CaO acts as an adsorbent of CO and CO2 to maintain a sufficient concentration of oxygen around the catalyst required for effective progress of the reaction. It was also revealed that aliphatic aldehydes were generated from the alkyl moiety of aryl alkyl ketones over the course of the reaction. The aliphatic aldehyde derivatives undergo either an oxidation to the corresponding aliphatic carboxylic acids or a further continuous C-C cleavage reaction to form aliphatic aldehydes with loss of one carbon along with the formation of CO and CO2.