Silver(I)‐Catalyzed Widely Applicable Aerobic 1,2‐Diol Oxidative Cleavage

Abstract

The oxidative cleavage of 1,2-diols is a fundamental organic transformation. The stoichiometric oxidants that are still predominantly used for such oxidative cleavage, such as H₅ IO₆ , Pb(OAc)₄ , and KMnO₄ , generate stoichiometric hazardous waste. Herein, we describe a widely applicable and highly selective silver(I)-catalyzed oxidative cleavage of 1,2-diols that consumes atmospheric oxygen as the sole oxidant, thus serving as a potentially greener alternative to the classical transformations.