Wacker‐Type Oxidation Using an Iron Catalyst and Ambient Air: Application to Late‐Stage Oxidation of Complex Molecules

Abstract

Abstract A practical and general iron‐catalyzed Wacker‐type oxidation of olefins to ketones is presented, and it uses ambient air as the sole oxidant. The mild oxidation conditions enable exceptional functional‐group tolerance, which has not been demonstrated for any other Wacker‐type reaction to date. The inexpensive and nontoxic reagents [iron(II) chloride, polymethylhydrosiloxane, and air] can, therefore, also be employed to oxidize complex natural‐product‐derived and polyfunctionalized molecules.