Air Oxidation of N-Cyclopropylanilines

Air oxidation of N-cyclopropylanilines was shown to occur under either ambient conditions or accelerated conditions (warming or shining light) in an open container. A subsequent fragmentation resulted in formation of the corresponding acetamide. While potential mechanisms have been previously proposed, simple aerobic oxidation to β-hydroxy-propionamides in the absence of a radical promoter has not been previously reported.