The cis-[RuII(L)2(OH2)2]2+ complexes (L = substituted 2,2′-bipyridines or 1,10-phenanthrolines) catalyse oxidation of saturated hydrocarbons to alcohols and ketones by t-butylhydroperoxide; the low values of kinetic isotope effect (kH/kD= 3.5 for cyclohexane) and tertiary of secondary C–H bond relative reactivities (ktert/ksecca. 6.5 for adamantane) are in a range expected for hydrogen atom abstraction by radical species.
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Lau et al. (1988) studied this question.