Oppenauer Oxidations Using 1-Methyl-4-Piperidone as the Hydride Acceptor

Oppenauer oxidation constitutes a mild, often selective, procedure for the conversion of alcohols to aldehydes or ketones.1 In many instances a ketone higher boiling than acetone must be used to facilitate the reaction. The excess ketone and the corresponding alcohol, owing to a relatively low volatility and high solubility in organic solvents, are frequently difficult to separate from the desired product. For example, cyclohexanone and cyclo-hexanol are commonly removed by steam distillation, a somewhat tedious procedure not amenable to certain sensitive compounds.