Aerobic one-pot oxidation of 1-octanol to octanoic acid

Highly efficient heterogeneous one-pot oxidation from 1-octanol to octanoic acid using molecular oxygen as a sole oxidant with Ru-Co(OH)_2-CeO_2 catalyst was developed.XRD and XPS characterizations were used to analyze the catalyst structure influenced by aging temperature.Two species of crystallines including CeO_2 and Co(OH)_2 existing in this catalyst were evidenced. Ru was in high oxidation state of quadravalence and well dispersed. The synergism among Ru, Co and Ce components exhibited highly catalytic activity towards one-pot conversion from 1-octanol to octanoic acid under mild condition.Firstly β elimination from 1-octanol to octanal and later radical process from octanal to octanoic acid were plausible reaction mechanism.