Pyridylidene Amide Ru Complex for Selective Oxidation in Organic Synthesis.

The ruthenium(II) bis(PYA) complex 1 (PYA = p- pyridylidene amide) is a powerful catalyst for the oxidation of sulfides to sulfones, of alkenes to carbonyl compounds, and of terminal alkynes to carboxylic acids by using NaIO 4 as the terminal oxidant. The catalytic system shows a broad functional group tolerance and rate differences between alkyne and sulfide oxidation that are sufficiently large to effectively achieve selective sulfide oxidation with exquisite selectivity.