Cyclometalated\nRuthenium-Complex-Catalyzed Selective\nOxidation of Olefins to Carbonyls

Cyclometalated ruthenium(II)-complex-catalyzed\nselective oxidative\nscission of olefins to carbonyls is described. A strong C-donor ligand,\npaired with a rigid backbone and redox activity of ruthenium, provided\nhigh catalytic activity and a long lifetime for olefin oxidation.\nThe catalyst tolerates numerous functional groups and applies to challenging\nbiomass-, natural-product-, sugar-, amino-acid-, and fatty-acid-derived\nsubstrates.