Ruthenium supported on alumina has been used for the oxidation of primary amines to give nitriles with molecular oxygen (Scheme 9).

Scheme 9

 

1.7.4 Cobalt Catalyzed Reactions
1.7.4.1 Oxidation of Alcohols

Cobalt catalyst along with N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) can oxidize alcohols to give carbonyl compounds in the presence of molecular oxygen. The reaction can be performed at ambient conditions in the presence of catalytic amount of m-CPBA as an additive (Scheme 10).

Scheme 10

1.7.4.2 C-H Oxidation Alkanes

The oxidation of toluene is one of the important industrial processes. The toluene moieties could be oxidized to benzoic acid derivatives using cobalt catalyst in combination with NHPI in the presence of molecular oxygen (Scheme 11).

Scheme 11

1.7.4.3 Epoxidation of Alkenes

Cobalt catalysts have been reported for the epoxidation of alkenes with molecular oxygen as a terminal oxidant. For example, Co(III) complex has been investigated for the epoxidation of alkenes in presence of pivalaldehyde and molecular oxygen (Scheme 12). In these reactions, the cobalt complex catalyzes the oxidation of the aldehyde to peracid with molecular oxygen and the peracid transfer the oxygen to alkenes. 

Scheme 12