A mild and highly efficient laccase-mediator system for aerobic oxidation of alcohols

With the aid of the highly active nitroxyl radical AZADO (2-azaadamantane N-oxyl), a simple method for the aerobic catalytic oxidation of alcohols is presented. The oxidations could typically proceed under practical ambient conditions (room temperature, air atmosphere, no moisture effect, metal-free, etc.) with a broad generality of the alcohol substrates, and especially for the oxidation of complex and highly functionalized alcohols. An ionic mechanism is proposed for the present system.