Selective catalytic oxidation of
carbohydrate-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural,
furfuryl alcohol, and various aromatic and aliphatic compounds to
the corresponding aldehyde is a challenging task. The development
of a sustainable heterogeneous catalyst is crucial in achieving high
selectivity for the desired aldehyde, especially using O
2
or air. In this study, a RuO
2
-supported Mn
3
O
4
catalyst is reported for the selective oxidation reaction.
Treatment of MnO
2
molecular sieves with RuCl
3
in aqueous formaldehyde solution gives a new type of RuO
2
-supported Mn
3
O
4
catalyst. Detailed catalyst
characterization using powder X-ray diffraction, N
2
adsorption,
scanning and transmission electron microscopes, diffuse reflectance
UV–visible spectrometer, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
proves that the RuO
2
species are dispersed on the highly
crystalline Mn
3
O
4
surface. This catalytic conversion
process involves molecular oxygen or air (flow, 10 mL/min) as an oxidant.
No external oxidizing reagent, additive, or cocatalyst is required
to carry out this transformation. This oxidation protocol affords
2,5-diformylfuran, 2-formylfuran, and other aromatic and aliphatic
aldehydes in good to excellent yield (70–99%). Moreover, the
catalyst is easily recycled and reused without any loss in the catalytic
activity.