Oxidation of Primary and Secondary Alcohols by the Catalysis of Palladium

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jo00156a028

Saturated and unsaturated alcohols are oxidized to the corresponding ketones in good or excellent yields by using an aryl halide (phenyl bromide or mesityl bromide) as an oxidant and palladium(0) or -(II) as a catalyst (0.6-3 mol percent relative to the alcohol) in the presence of a base (NaH or K2CO3).The similar oxidation of primary alcohols provides the corresponding aldehydes and/or esters.The aldehyde/ester selectivity is correlated to the steric and electronic features of substrates.The procedure is applied to the oxidation of 1-primary,ω-primary diols to lactones.