Supported ruthenium catalyst as an effective catalyst for selective oxidation of toluene

The investigation comprised an evaluation of the use of the catalyst 1%Ru/TiO₂ in the liquid-phase conversion of toluene to benzyl alcohol and benzaldehyde. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherms were deployed to delineate the properties of the supported catalysts. The findings indicated a good catalytic performance by 1%Ru/TiO₂ under green reaction conditions. This performance was deemed a consequence of the spread and loading of Ru on the TiO₂. The reaction conditions such as temperature, reaction time, type of support, catalyst preparation method, and activating quantity) were optimized to achieve superior reaction parameters. Catalyst produced via sol-immobilization has higher activity than the one prepared with the wet-impregnation method, which lead to a transformation rate of up to 9.5%, with the selectivity for benzyl alcohol at 92%.