A Collaborative Effect between Gold and a Support Induces the Selective Oxidation of Alcohols

Ceria nanoparticles as a support stabilize positive gold species and provide oxygen vacancies. The resulting solid exhibits an exceedingly high efficiency for the solventless aerobic oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols to carbonyl compounds (see picture). The selective oxidation of alcohols is one of the most challenging reactions in green chemistry.1–4 An ideal green oxidation process should involve a highly active and selective recyclable catalyst that is able to work at atmospheric pressure in the presence of oxygen and the absence of solvents and bases.5 Stoichiometric oxidations using transition metal compounds or sulfoxides (Swern oxidation) are still commonly used, despite the formation of a…