Keggin Type-Polyoxometalate Decorated Ruthenium Nanoparticles: Highly Active and Selective Nanocatalyst for the Oxidation of Veratryl Alcohol as a Lignin Model Compound

Described herein is a new nanocatalyst system that efficiently works in the aerobic oxidation of veratryl alcohol (VA), which is formed by cleavage of beta-O-4 linkages in lignin, to veratraldehyde (VAL) under mild reaction conditions. The new nanocatalyst system comprised of ruthenium(0) nanoparticles supported on the Keggin type polyoxometalate (POM; K-3[PMo12O40]) network (Ru/POM) can simply and reproducibly be prepared by the dimethylamine-borane ((CH3)(2)NHBH3) reduction of ruthenium(III) chloride trihydrate (RuCl3.3H(2)O) in isopropanol solution of K-3[P Mo12O40] at room temperature. The characterization of Ru/POM by the combination of various analytical techniques reveals that the formation of well-dispersed ruthenium(0) nanoparticles with a mean diameter of 4.7 +/- 1.2nm on the surface of POM network structure. This new Ru/POM nanocatalyst displays remarkable activity (TOF=7.5mol VAld/mol Ru x h) at high selectivity (> 98%) and almost complete conversion (98%) in the aerobic oxidation of VA to VAld under mild conditions.