Efficient ruthenium-catalysed oxidative cleavage of methyl oleate with hydrogen peroxide as oxidant

The oxidative cleavage of alkenes leads to the formation of carboxylic acids. One of the few technical processes using this reaction is the production of azelaic acid via the ozonolysis of oleic acid. Because of the need for stoichiometric amounts of the expensive oxidant ozone, together with safety hazards, there is still a requirement for a catalytic process using a cheap and environmentally friendly oxidant. In the present work, the oxidative cleavage of methyl oleate by hydrogen peroxide was catalysed by an easily available ruthenium precursor with dipicolinic acid as ligand. The systematic optimisation of the reaction led to the formation of azelaic acid monomethyl ester in high yields amounting to 86%. The investigation of the reaction pathway showed that the reaction proceeds via a tandem reaction of epoxidation and hydrolysis of the epoxide and oxidative cleavage of the vic-diol.