Work

Selective Catalytic Oxidation of Benzyl Alcohol to Benzaldehyde With Alkyl Allyl Carbonates and Pd(II) Allyl‐Amidinate

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT Group 9 and 10 amidinate complexes have been used as molecular precursors for surface organometallic chemistry (SOMC) and atomic layer deposition (ALD) because they readily react with OH functionalities, reversibly forming a metal oxygen bond. Here, we show that this reversible protonation step can be exploited to design a catalytic oxidation process of benzyl alcohol, where catalytic turnover is enabled by the addition of alkyl allyl carbonates in the presence of a catalytic amount of Pd(allyl)(DIA). Although overoxidation products are observed, we also present strategies to suppress their formation to obtain benzaldehyde in up to 95% yield. The presented work comprises a new strategy for the selective catalytic oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes, a fundamental reaction of organic chemistry.

Source: Helvetica Chimica Acta

DOI: 10.1002/hlca.202500160

Authors: Christian Ehinger, Mattia Ciuoli, Barnabé Berger, Christophe Copéret

Institution: ETH Zurich

Language: English

Topic: Oxidative Organic Chemistry Reactions

Subfield: Organic Chemistry

Field: Chemistry

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,030

Funders: National Science Foundation, Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich