Ruthenium meso-tetrakis(2,6-dichlorophenyl)porphyrin complex immobilized in mesoporous MCM-41 as a heterogeneous catalyst for selective alkene epoxidations

A ruthenium complex of meso-tetrakis(2,6-dichlorophenyl)porphyrin [Ru-II(TDCPP)(CO)(EtOH)], is immobilized into mesoporous MCM-41 molecular sieves; the supported Ru catalyst can effect highly selective heterogeneous alkene epoxidations using 2,6-dichloropyridine N-oxide as terminal oxidant. Aromatic and aliphatic alkenes can be efficiently converted to their epoxides in good yields and selectivities, and cis-alkenes such as cis-stilbene, cis-beta-methylstyrene, and cis-beta-deuteriostyrene are epoxidized stereospecifically. Oxidation of cycloalkenes, e.g., norbornene and cyclooctene, can be carried out effectively using the heterogeneous Ru-catalyzed reaction while these alkenes are unreactive in the zeolite-based titanium silicate (TS-1)-catalyzed conditions (Murugavel, R.; Roesky, H. W. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. Engl. 1997, 36, 477). On the other hand, the Ru/M-41(m) catalyst displays size selectivity in the (+)-limonene oxidation where the terminal C=C bond (vs internal trisubstituted C=C bond) becomes more readily oxidized. Bulky 3,4,6-tri-O-benzyl-D-glucal has failed to react under the heterogeneous Ru-catalyzed conditions, whereas the smaller acetyl derivative is converted to a 3:1 mixture of alpha- and beta-glycal epoxides. The Ru/M-4l(m) catalyst can be used repeatedly, and 67% of its initial activity is retained after 11 691 turnovers (three runs). The loss of activity is attributed to catalyst leaching and/or deactivation. On the basis of Hammett correlation (rho(+) = -0.72, R = 0.997) and product studies (cyclohexene and cis-alkenes as the substrates), a reactive dioxoruthenium(VI) porphyrin intermediate is not favored. An oxoruthenium(V) complex or oxoruthenium(IV) porphyrin cation radical could be the key intermediate for this highly selective epoxidation reaction.