Supported gold nanoparticles as a reusable catalyst for synthesis of lactones from diols using molecular oxygen as an oxidant under mild conditions

The oxidative lactonization of various diols using molecular oxygen as a primary oxidant can be efficiently catalyzed by hydrotalcite-supported Au nanoparticles (Au/HT). For instance, lactonization of 1,4-butanediol gave γ-butyrolactone with an excellent turnover number of 1400. After lactonization, the Au/HT can be recovered by simple filtration and reused without any loss of its activity and selectivity.