Ruthenium heterogeneous catalysts supported on activated carbons. These products are solid materials made up of Ruthenium particles that are generally finely dispersed on powdered activated carbon substrates, with different origin and characteristics.
Ruthenium particles are anchored on the activated carbon surface by an SMSI bond (Strong Metal Support Interaction), which is formed between the Ruthenium precursor coordination sphere and the oxygenated functional groups on the carbon surface (SOGs).
The ruthenium particles take part in the different reactions, in which the catalyst is involved, modifying the reaction kinetics (lowering the activation energy), but without changing the reaction thermodynamics (ΔG).
Ruthenium catalysts are widely used for the valorization of vegetal biomasses and in the field of the modification of sugars. They find widespread used for the saturation of aromatic rings, even in case severe experimental conditions are required.
As compared to other VIII B group metals, Ruthenium shows several positive valences (+2, +3, +4, +6 +8), some of them with a high oxidation number; this is why it is often used as an oxidation catalyst too. In case of hydrogenation reaction, Ruthenium needs an induction period of time, along which no hydrogen adsorption happens, until the crystals surface restructuring is completed.
