Metal‐Free: An Efficient and Selective Catalytic Aerobic Oxidation of Hydrocarbons with Oxime and N‐Hydroxyphthalimide

A non‐metal catalytic system consisting of dimethylglyoxime (DMG) and N‐hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) for the selective oxidation of hydrocarbons with dioxygen is described. The synergistic effect of DMG and NHPI ensures its efficient catalytic ability: 82.1% conversion of ethylbenzene with 94.9% selectivity for acetophenone could be obtained at 80 °C under 0.3 MPa of dioxygen in 10 h. Several hydrocarbons were efficiently oxidized to their corresponding oxygenated products under mild conditions.