Selective oxidation of benzylic and allylic alcohols with PhI(OOCCF3)2/catalytic 2,3-Dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ) under mild conditions

An effective method for selectively oxidizing benzylic and allylic alcohols, including those deactivated by electron-withdrawing groups, was described with hypervalent iodine (III)/catalytic DDQ under mild conditions. This reaction could be performed smoothly under metal-free conditions, providing green access to corresponding carbonyl compounds. The methodology may be attractive for organic synthesis and pharmaceutical chemistry.