Selective Aerobic Oxidation of Activated Alcohols into Acids or Aldehydes in Ionic Liquids

Selective aerobic oxidation of activated primary alcohols into acids or aldehydes has been developed in ionic liquids. Under optimal conditions, various alcohols could be selectively converted into their corresponding acids or aldehydes in good to excellent yields. The newly developed catalytic systems could also be recycled and reused for three runs without any significant loss of catalytic activity.