Partial Oxidation of Alcohols to Aldehydes and Ketones Under Mild Conditions

Abstract

A number of aldehydes and ketones were prepared by partial oxidation of alcohols in air catalyzed by RuO₂/ZSM‐5 which can be easily prepared with the industrial grade ZSM‐5 and RuCl₃ · xH₂O.

Keywords:

• RuO₂/ZSM‐5
• Alcohol oxidation
• Air atmosphere
• Benzyl alcohol

Notes

^aAll the oxidation reactions were carried out in the air of 0.83 atm, which is a normal atmospheric pressure in Lanzhou, China. The experiments carried out in the air of 1.0 atm indicated the pressure 0.83 atm is not essential for these results. For examples, in the air of 1.0 atm, farfuryl alcohol was oxidized to furfural with 67% conversion and 99% selectivity in 5.5 hr, and cyclohexanol was oxidized to cyclohexanone with 20% conversion and 99% selectivity in 18 hr. Clearly, these results do not differ greatly from the results obtained in the experiments carried out in the air of 1.0 atm.