Abstract: The present invention relates to novel oxidative processes for substrates such as olefins, alkanes, aromatics and alcohols using metallic porphyrin or salen catalytic complexes which have been specifically designed to maximize catalytic activity, thereby enhancing efficiency, selectively and speed of oxidation of these substrates. The choice of the substituents in the metallic complexes may be varied, but must be chosen to prevent specific ligand set arrangements known to be stable and therefore less catalytically efficient. Coordination complexes, particularly porphyrins and salens having nitrosyl axial ligands and electron-withdrawing peripheral substituents are preferred. Ruthenium coordination metals are the preferred metal center, with the highly reactive catalytic species found to be Ru.sup.III.

Abstract: Metallic porphyrin complexes are useful as catalysts for the epoxidation of olefins at ambient temperature and pressure using oxygen, which preferably is supplied either as air or pure oxygen, without need for a coreductant.