CuCl-Catalyzed Aerobic Oxidation of Allylic and Propargylic Alcohols to Aldehydes or Ketones with 1:1 Combination of Phenanthroline and Bipyridine as the Ligands

We developed a modified protocol for the oxidation of 2,3-allenyl alcohols using CuCl with 1:1 combination of phenanthroline and bipyridine as the catalyst. To further investigate the applicability of this system, other types of alcohols such as allylic and propargylic alcohols have been tested: we found that both allylic and propargylic alcohols may be oxidized to the corresponding aldehydes or ketones using molecular oxygen in air as the oxidant with moderate to excellent yields.