Aerobic Alcohol Oxidations Mediated by Nitric Acid

A touch of acid: Catalytic amounts of HNO3 can trigger the aerobic oxidation of alcohols in the presence of the solid acid amberlyst-15. The desired oxidation cycle, mediated by (H)NOx species, is in kinetic competition with the detrimental formation of N2O by HNO dimerization (see scheme). In situ water removal in a gas recirculation reactor increases the reaction rate and the end-conversion by minimizing N2O formation and increasing the (H)NOx turnover.