Oxidation using activated carbon and molecular oxygen system

This paper describes the utility of an activated carbon–molecular oxygen system, not only in the oxidation of benzylic and allylic alcohols, but also in the direct carbonylation at the benzylic position. The preparation of a variety of heteroaromatic and aromatic compounds, including substituted pyridines, pyrazoles, benzoxazoles, benzimidazoles, benzothiazoles, 2‐substituted imidazoles, indoles, pyrimidin‐2(1H)‐ones, and anthracenes, by oxidative aromatization using the activated carbon–molecular oxygen system is also discussed.