Aerobic Oxidation of Dihydroxyarenes Substrates Catalyzed by PolymerSupported Ru-Pheox/Silica-Gel: beneficial route for purification of Industrial Water

Abstract

: A broad class of dihydroxyarenes were easily oxidized by aerobic oxygen to quinone products in excellent yields under the catalytic effect of polymer-supported RuII -Pheox/silica-gel catalyst. By using this combined catalyst, hydroquinone and catechol derivatives with electron donating groups were easily oxidized by molecular oxygen to quinone products in 90% to >99% yield while in case of electron withdrawing group, only 70% was obtained. Pleasingly, the biologically useful 1,4-Naphthoqinone products were obtained in 83% to 90%. The catalyst was easily obtained and reused many times without significant decrease in reactivity. Interestingly, a sample of industrial water contaminating with phenolic compounds was subjected to aerobic oxidation by using this catalyst and the resulted quinones were detected within one day and the catalyst was removed and reused several times with different contaminating samples with the same efficiency. Another catalytic oxidations by using this promising catalyst were investigated.