Synfacts 2006(12): 1265-1265  
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-955615
Metal-Mediated Synthesis
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Highly Efficient Al-Catalyzed Alcohol Oxidation via Oppenauer Reaction

Contributor(s): Paul Knochel, Andrei Gavryushin
C. R. Graves, B.-S. Zeng, S. T. Nguyen*
Northwestern University, Evanston, USA
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
22 November 2006 (online)

Significance

This publication presents an extremely simple, selective and versatile method for the oxidation of alcohols to carbonyl compounds, based on Oppenauer chemistry. Catalytic amounts of AlMe3 in toluene (a commercial reagent) are used along with quite inexpensive m-nitrobenz­aldehyde as a stoichiometric oxidant. A great variety of alcohols, including sterically hindered, allylic, propargylic and others were successfully subjected to oxidation by this method. This protocol is one of the most versatile and robust methods for the alcohol oxidation, reported to date.