Silver(I)‐Catalyzed Widely Applicable Aerobic 1,2‐Diol Oxidative Cleavage

Abstract The oxidative cleavage of 1,2‐diols is a fundamental organic transformation. The stoichiometric oxidants that are still predominantly used for such oxidative cleavage, such as H 5 IO 6 , Pb(OAc) 4 , and KMnO 4 , generate stoichiometric hazardous waste. Herein, we describe a widely applicable and highly selective silver(I)‐catalyzed oxidative cleavage of 1,2‐diols that consumes atmospheric oxygen as the sole oxidant, thus serving as a potentially greener alternative to the classical transformations.