Non-Heme-Type Ruthenium Catalyzed Chemo- and Site-Selective C-H Oxidation.

Herein, we developed a Ru(II)(BPGA) complex that could be used to catalyze chemo- and site-selective C-H oxidation. The described ruthenium complex was designed by replacing one pyridyl group on tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine with an electron-donating amide ligand that was critical for promoting this type of reaction. More importantly, higher reactivities and better chemo-, and site-selectivities were observed for reactions using the cis-ruthenium complex rather than the trans-one. This reaction could be used to convert sterically less hindered methyne and/or methylene C-H bonds of a various organic substrates, including natural products, into valuable alcohol or ketone products.