Ruthenium on chitosan: a recyclable heterogeneous catalyst for aqueous hydration of nitriles to amides

Ruthenium has been immobilized over chitosan by simply stirring an aqueous suspension of chitosan in water with ruthenium chloride, and has been utilized for the oxidation of nitriles to amides; the hydration of nitriles occurs in high yield and excellent selectivity, which proceeds exclusively in aqueous medium under neutral conditions.