Quantitative Aerobic Oxidation of Primary Benzylic Alcohols to Aldehydes Catalyzed by Highly Efficient and Recyclable P123-Stabilized Pd Nanoclusters in Acidic Aqueous Solution

Quantitative oxidation of benzylic alcohols to aldehydes catalyzed by P123-stabilized Pd nanoclusters was first developed in acidic aqueous solution with air at near ambient temperature. The Pd nanocluster colloidal system showed high conversion rates for aerobic oxidation of benzylic alcohols and could easily be recovered by a simple process for multiple recycling reactions without significant loss of activity.