Abstract
Molecular oxygen has received much attention as an ultimate oxidant, since it is photosynthesized by plants, produces little waste, is inexpensive and of larger atom efficiency than that of other oxidants. With this background in mind, we examined a new oxidation method with the catalysis of a halogen source and molecular oxygen, and, in the course of our study of photo-oxidation, we have found that a catalytic amount of magnesium bromide diethyl etherate enables us to carry out the aerobic photo-oxidation of alcohols under irradiation of VIS from a general-purpose fluorescent lamp. Aliphatic primary alcohols, secondary alcohols and benzyl alcohols generally afforded the carboxylic acids directly in good to high yield. Furthermore, benzyl alcohols and allylic alcohols were found to be oxidized to the corresponding aldehydes in the presence of a catalytic amount of iodine under irradiation of a fluorescent lamp.
