Green, catalytic oxidation of alcohols in water

Alcohol oxidations are typically performed with stoichiometric reagents tha t generate heavy-metal waste and are usually run in chlorinated solvents. A water-soluble palladium(ll) bathophenanthroline complex is a stable recycl able catalyst for the selective aerobic oxidation of a wide range of alcoho ls to aldehydes, ketones, and carboxylic acids in a biphasic water-alcohol system. The use of water as a solvent and air as the oxidant makes the reac tion interesting from both an economic and environmental point of view.