Mild oxidative cleavage of β,β-carotene by dioxygen induced by a ruthenium porphyrin catalyst:: characterization of products and of some possible intermediates

Mild oxidative cleavage of beta,beta -carotene by dioxygen is induced by a ruthenium tetramesitylporphyrin catalyst, and it leads to the full possible range of beta -apocarotenals and beta -apocarotenones. The slow reaction kinetics allow the sequence of events leading to double bond cleavage over a period of 24 h to be monitored by HPLC-DAD and HPLC-MS.