Patent ID: 7582750

Claim:
A method for producing an aldehyde from an unsaturated compound having one or more C═C functional groups, which comprises reacting a pyrldine-N-oxide with the unsaturated compound in the presence of a catalytic amount of a ruthenium (IV) porphyrin complex catalyst, wherein the ruthenium (IV) porphyrin complex has the following structure: wherein M is a ruthenium (IV) porphyrin complex; wherein each R 1 -R 12 is independently H, optionally substituted hydroxyl, optionally substituted amino, halogen, —CN, —NO 2 , optionally substituted C 1-20 alkyl, optionally substituted phenyl; optionally substituted napthyl; optionally substituted anthracenyl, —SR 13 , —SO 2 R 13 , —CO 2 R 13 , and optionally substituted heteroatom-containing aromatic ring, in which the optional substituents are independently selected from the foregoing alkyl, phenyl, napthyl, anthracenyl and heteroatom-containing aromatic groups; R 13 is independently selected from the same groups as R 1 other than —SR 13 and —SO 2 R 13 ; and wherein L is a halogen molecule, solvent molecule, CO or R 1 .