Zirconium alkoxide catalyzed Oppenauer oxidation using chloral as the hydride acceptor

Article abstract of DOI:10.1055/s-1996-4381

A new variation of the Oppenauer oxidation is presented with chloral as the hydride acceptor and Zr(O-t-Bu)₄ or, for highly reactive carbonyl products, the heterogeneous system SiO₂/Zr(O-n-Pr)(x), as the catalyst. The reaction proceeds under mild conditions (20°C) with a substoichiometric amount of Zr(O-t-Bu)₄ (usually 20%). Primary and secondary allyl alcohols are converted in high yields to the corresponding carbonyl compounds.