Aerobic Oxidation of Primary Alcohols Catalyzed by Copper Salts and Catalytically Active μ‐Hydroxyl‐Bridged Trinuclear Copper Intermediate

Abstract

Abstract We have developed a new protocol involving the “copper(II) chloride‐cesium carbonate” system for the aerobic oxidation of primary alcohols. Cesium carbonates and the solvents such as toluene and 1,2‐dichloroethane play important roles to form a catalytically active intermediate containing a μ‐hydroxyl‐bridged trinuclear copper moiety (complex 1 ). From the X‐ray crystal structure of complex 1 , an electrostatic interaction between chloride anions and cesium cations was observed, which stimulated us to understand the roles of cesium carbonate in this reaction as a base, stabilizing and “solvating” intermediates in toluene and 1,2‐dichloroethane.