Electrooxidation of organic compounds using some principles of green chemistry

Abstract

It has been shown that ruthenium polypyridyl aqua complexes have basically the same electrochemical behavior in weakly coordinating organic solvents, such as methylene chloride and acetone, as in water. Therefore, their use in electrocatalytic processes in water, as they have been conducted in an ecologically cleaner system, they can bring significant benefits for mankind, as well as nature and economy. In this sense, the new ruthenium aqua complex containing diphosphine and polypyriridine as ligands, [Ru(L)(totpy)(OH2)](ClO4)2 (L=Ph2PCH2CH2PPh2); (totpy=4´-(4-tolyl)-2,2´:6´,2´´-tripyridine), was used as catalyst at pH 8.1 in homogeneous electrooxidation of benzyl alcohol, benzaldehyde, benzylbutyl ether and 1-phenylethanol.