Hexacoordinated ruthenium moderated production of hydrogen peroxide and sulfur from oxygen and hydrogen sulfide

摘要

A process of reacting in the liquid phase a hexacoordinated ruthenium(II) complex with oxygen in the presence of a source of hydrogen ions under conditions forming hydrogen peroxide and the corresponding hexacoordinated ruthenium(III) complex and reacting the hexacoordinated ruthenium(III) complex with hydrogen sulfide to form elemental sulfur and regenerate the hexacoordinated ruthenium(II) complex, the hexacoordinated ruthenium(III) complex having a reduction potential of not more than +0.68. Five or six of the ligands of the ruthenium complexes are non-labile in both valence states.