Cobalt‐Catalyzed Aerobic Oxidative Cleavage of Alkyl Aldehydes: Synthesis of Ketones, Esters, Amides, and α‐Ketoamides

Abstract A widely applicable approach was developed to synthesize ketones, esters, amides via the oxidative C−C bond cleavage of readily available alkyl aldehydes. Green and abundant molecular oxygen (O 2 ) was used as the oxidant, and base metals (cobalt and copper) were used as the catalysts. This strategy can be extended to the one‐pot synthesis of ketones from primary alcohols and α‐ketoamides from aldehydes.