Primary benzylic alcohols are selectively oxidized to the corresponding aromatic aldehydes by molecular oxygen at atmospheric pressure, under Br2-HNO3 catalysis in a biphasic medium (1,2-dichloroethane-water, 5:1) at 60 °C. Under paragonable experimental conditions the aliphatic alcohols are oxidized to esters.
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Minisci et al. (2004) studied this question.