Chemoselective C-H oxidation of alcohols to carbonyl compounds with iodosobenzene catalyzed by (salen)chromium complex

Primary and secondary alcohols with benzylically and allylically activated C-H bonds are chemoselectively oxidized to the corresponding carbonyl compo unds by the (salen)Cr(III) complex I as the catalyst and iodosobenzene as t he oxygen source; the oxidizing species is the Cr(V) oxo complex. Allylic a lcohols with fully substituted double bonds give appreciable amounts of epo xides besides the C-H oxidation products enones, while saturated alcohols a re less readily oxidized.