Investigation into the Nature of the Oxoruthenate Species used to Mediate the Oxidation of an Organic Substrate by Hypochlorite in a Biphasic System†

Abstract

Hydrophilic sodium perruthenate, rather than lipophilic ruthenium tetraoxide, is the mediator in the oxidation of octan-2-ol by sodium hypochlorite in a water–carbon tetrachloride (or dichloromethane) biphasic system; as a consequence, oxidation occurs at the phase boundary and is promoted by stirring or ultrasound.