Aerobic Oxidation of Alcohols with Air Catalyzed by Decacarbonyldimanganese

The oxidation of alcohols to carbonyl compounds using air as the terminal oxidant is highly desirable. As described in previous reports, the abstraction of the α-H of the alcohol is the most important step, and it typically requires not only a metal catalyst but also complex ligands, co-catalysts and bases. Herein, we report a practical and efficient method for the oxidation of primary alcohols, secondary alcohols, 1,2-diols, 1,2-amino alcohols, and other α-functionalized alcohols using a commercially available catalyst, Mn2(CO)10, and no additives. Preliminary mechanistic studies indicated that an alkoxyl radical intermediate existed in our system, and a plausible mechanism consistent with the experimental results and literature was proposed.