Hydroxylation of methane by a sterically hindered ruthenium complex

Abstract

The sterically crowded cis-[Ru(dmp)₂S₂](PF₆)₂(dmp = 2,9 dirnethyl-1,10-phenanthroline, S = Me₃CN or H₂O) is capable of hydroxylating methane under mild reaction conditions utilizing H₂O₂ as the primary oxidant; oxidation of this complex with H₂O₂ is studied spectrophotometrically by UV–VIS and NMR spectroscopy implicating ruthenium(VI) as the active oxidant.