Selective Oxidation of Benzylic C–H Bonds Catalyzed by Cu(II)/{PMo12}

Precise catalytic regulation of carbon radical generation by a highly active oxygen radical to abstract the H atom in a C–H bond is an effective method for the selective activation of C–H synthetic chemistry. Herein, we report a facile catalyst system with commercially available copper(II)/{PMo12} to form a tert-butanol radical intermediate for the selective oxidation of benzylic C–H bonds. The reaction shows a broad range of substrates (benzyl methylene, benzyl alcohols) with good functional group tolerance and chemical selectivity. The corresponding carbonyl compounds were synthesized with good yields under mild conditions. DFT calculations and experimental analysis further demonstrated a reasonable carbon radical mechanism for this type of organic transformation reaction.