Low-Temperature Methane Activation Reaction Pathways over Mechanochemically-Generated Ce/Cu Interfacial Sites.

Methane is a valuable resource and its valorization is an important challenge in heterogeneous catalysis. Here it is shown that CeO/CuO composite prepared by ball milling activates methane at a temperature as low as 250 °C. In contrast to conventionally prepared catalysts, the formation of partial oxidation products such as methanol and formaldehyde is also observed.

cis-Locked Ru(II)-DMSO Precursors for the Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Bis-Heteroleptic Polypyridyl Compounds.

We describe a synthetic strategy for the preparation of bis-heteroleptic polypyridyl Ru(II) complexes of the type [Ru(L1)(L2)] (L1 and L2 = diimine ligands) from well-defined Ru(II) precursors. For this purpose, a series of six neutral, anionic, and cationic -locked Ru(II)-DMSO complexes (-) of the general formula [Y] -[RuX(DMSO-S)(O-O)] (where O-O is a symmetrical chelating anion: oxalate (ox), malonate (mal), acetylacetonate (acac); X = DMSO-O or Cl; = -1/0/+1 depending on the nature and charge of X and O-O; when present, Y = K or PF) were efficiently prepared from the well-known -[RuCl(DMSO)] (). When treated with diimine chelating ligands (L1 = bpy, phen, dpphen), the compounds - afforded the target [Ru(L1)(O-O)] complex together with the undesired (and unexpected) [Ru(L1)] species.