Aerobic oxidation of benzylic alcohols with solid alkaline metal hydroxides

Solid alkaline metal hydroxides displayed high catalytic activity and full selectivity in the aerobic oxidation of benzylic alcohols in a non-polar medium. The activity of the solid bases, in decreasing order of reactivity, was KOH > NaOH ≫ LiOH. Water, which is the only by-product of the reaction, plays a crucial role in KOH deactivation by converting the crystal phase of KOH to KOH · H2O, as confirmed by XRD measurements.