Biphasic Aerobic Oxidation of Alcohols Catalyzed by Poly(ethylene glycol)‐Stabilized Palladium Nanoparticles in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

Abstract

Active, selective, and stable: The combination of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as a catalyst phase and supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) as a mobile phase provides a “green” approach to the continuous-flow aerobic oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols by catalytically active palladium nanoparticles (see scheme). The activity of the system even slightly increases with reaction time, because CO2 appears to improve the dispersion of the Pd particles in the PEG matrix.