Rapid and Selective Catalytic Oxidation of Secondary Alcohols at Room Temperature by Using (N‐Heterocyclic Carbene)–Ni⁰ Systems

The selective, anaerobic catalytic oxidation of secondary alcohols at room temperature by using an in situ (N-heterocyclic carbene)-Ni(0) system is presented. The use of non-anhydrous, non-degassed 2,4-dichlorotoluene as both the oxidant and the solvent allows for very short reaction times and very high yields. In addition, a well-defined (N-heterocyclic carbene)-Ni(0) complex was synthesized and applied to these oxidation reactions.