A new perspective for palladium(II)-catalyzed alcohol oxidation in aerobic means

Abstract

The development of alternative and environmentally safe routes for the oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols has attracted the attention of several researchers due to the importance of these oxidized products in industries. Thereby, the oxidation of β-citronellol, geraniol, nerol, borneol, isoborneol, cinnamic alcohol, and benzyl alcohol is described herein. These reactions occurred in an aerobic environment, with or without system pressurization. Acetonitrile was the solvent used. The process was catalyzed by the bimetallic complex formed with palladium(II) acetate and copper(II) acetate, using p-benzoquinone as a cocatalyst in some reaction conditions. The applied system obtained 62.5 points on the eco-scale, with yields above 61%. Alcohol oxidation products are of great importance in industrial applications. Thus, this work presents a cleaner, more sustainable alternative to alcohol oxidations.