A green and pollution-free heterogeneous ruthenium catalyst anchoring on magnetic nanoparticles with FPBA and DTPA groups for oxidation of aromatic alcohols

Using ruthenium chloride as catalyst precursor, magnetic silicon spheres as support, 4-formylphenylboronic acid and ethylenediaminepentaacetic acid as functional ligands, a magnetic heterogeneous nano-ruthenium catalyst (Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 -FPBA-DTPA-Ru) was prepared for the first time. It was nano level with 20.17 emu/g saturation magnetic strength and thermal stability under 249.63 °C. Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 -FPBA-DTPA-Ru contained 0.38 mmol/g Ru and was successfully used to catalyze the oxidation reactions of 15 aromatic secondary alcohols. Results proved that Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 -FPBA-DTPA-Ru as catalyst had good catalytic activity for the oxidation of secondary aromatic alcohols with yields exceeding 90 % for 12 products and 95 % for 10 products. High TON and TOF values (6386 and 9158 h −1 ) in 1-phenylethanol oxidation were obtained. All the reactions of aromatic alcohols were carried out in a solvent-free system, so the prepared catalyst had the characteristics of green and pollution-free. It was’nt suitable for oxidation of aromatic primary alcohols. If there was steric hindrance around the hydroxyl group in substrate, the catalysis also may be limited. The Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 -FPBA-DTPA-Ru catalyst also exhibited the advantages of energy saving, satisfactory reusability and stability in 9 consecutive runs. It showed great potential for future large-scale industrial production.