RuCl3 Supported on N-Doped Graphene as a Reusable Catalyst for the One-Step Glucose Oxidation to Succinic Acid

Impregnation of RuCl3 on N-doped graphenes results in the formation of well-dispersed, small ruthenium oxyhydroxide nanoparticles supported on N-doped graphene that may exhibit high selectivity (87%) for the conversion of glucose into succinic acid under wet oxidation conditions (160 degrees C, 18atm O-2 pressure). Ruthenium loading and N-atom distribution on graphene influence the catalytic activity, the best performing catalyst having 1wt.% Ru loading on a graphene having a large population of graphenic N atoms. The high catalytic selectivity to succinic acid was correlated with the presence of small ruthenium nanoparticles. The present catalyst improves the best one previously reported because it does not require the continuous addition of an excess of amine to reach high succinic acid selectivity and reusability.