Mild Aerobic Oxidation of Secondary Alcohols with Water Tolerant Cu(I) Catalyst.

Green, aerobic oxidation of secondary alcohols to ketones poses a significant synthetic challenge. To address this, we have developed a highly active (DPA)CuI/ABNO catalyst system capable of aerobically oxidizing a wide range of secondary alcohols, including benzylic and aliphatic derivatives, yielding the corresponding ketones with high yields. The unique feature of this Cu(I) catalyst is its high stability, even in the presence of water. We also prepared CuI from waste copper sources to enhance the system's sustainability.