Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 15, 2026

Heterogeneous Removal of Water-Soluble Ruthenium Olefin Metathesis Catalyst from Aqueous Media Via Host-Guest Interaction
Published on: August 23, 2018
Ruthenium-Catalyzed Synthesis of Dialkoxymethane Ethers Utilizing Carbon Dioxide and Molecular Hydrogen
Katharina Thenert1, Kassem Beydoun1, Jan Wiesenthal1
1Institut für Technische und Makromolekulare Chemie, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 2, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Abstract:
The synthesis of dimethoxymethane (DMM) by a multistep reaction of methanol with carbon dioxide and molecular hydrogen is reported. Using the molecular catalyst [Ru(triphos)(tmm)] in combination with the Lewis acid Al(OTf)3 resulted in a versatile catalytic system for the synthesis of various dialkoxymethane ethers. This new catalytic reaction provides the first synthetic example for the selective conversion of carbon dioxide and hydrogen into a formaldehyde oxidation level, thus opening access to new molecular structures using this important C1 source.
Related Concept Videos
Carboxylic Acids to Methylesters: Alkylation using Diazomethane
Ethers from Alkenes: Alcohol Addition and Alkoxymercuration-Demercuration
Ethers can also be prepared from alkenes through acid-catalyzed addition of alcohols and alkoxymercuration–demercuration.
Preparation of Ethers by Acid-Catalyzed Addition of Alcohol to Alkenes
The acid-catalyzed addition of alcohol to an alkene involves treating the alkene with an excess of alcohol in the presence of an acid catalyst to form an ether under suitable conditions. The hydrogen will add to the less substituted carbon so that the nucleophile can attack the more substituted...
Hydroboration-Oxidation of Alkenes
Oxidation of Alkenes: Syn Dihydroxylation with Osmium Tetraoxide
Preparation of Epoxides
Epoxides result from alkene oxidation, which can be achieved by a) air, b) peroxy acids, c) hypochlorous acids, and d) halohydrin cyclization.
Epoxidation with Peroxy Acids
Epoxidation of alkenes via oxidation with peroxy acids involves the conversion of a carbon–carbon double bond to an epoxide using the oxidizing agent meta-chloroperoxybenzoic acid, commonly known as MCPBA. Since the O–O bond of peroxy acids is very weak, the addition of electrophilic oxygen of peroxy acids to...
Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Overview
Ruthenium-based Grubbs catalyst is the most commonly used catalyst for olefin metathesis polymerization. Grubbs catalyst consists of a...

