Metal-free aerobic alcohol oxidation: intensification under three-phase flow conditions.

The selective oxidation of alcohols is a pivotal transformation within industrial and synthetic chemistry. In this contribution we use O₂ as terminal oxidant and (H)NO(x) species as oxygen shuttle in order to mediate the oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols under the influence of a solid acid catalyst. Process optimization and intensification through the use of a continuous three-phase flow reactor is demonstrated. Space-time yields were found to increase by two orders of magnitude with respect to batch experiments, along with additional gains in selectivity and a decrease of N₂O formation.