New efficient aerobic oxidation of some alcohols with dioxygen catalysed by N-hydroxyphtalimide with vanadium co-catalysts

New efficient vanadium co-catalysts have been developed for the oxidation of some alcohols with O(2) catalysed by N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI). Various alcohols (primary and secondary) were selectively oxidized by O(2) under mild conditions in the presence of a catalytic amount of NHPI as a radical-producing agent combined with small amounts of vanadium complexes with or without the addition of a simple salt (e.g. LiCl) or base (e.g. pyridine).