Scientific Reports (Jun 2017)

Impact of Carboxyl Groups in Graphene Oxide on Chemoselective Alcohol Oxidation with Ultra-Low Carbocatalyst Loading

  • Yan Cui,
  • Young Hee Lee,
  • Jung Woon Yang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-03468-4
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 1
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

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Abstract A highly efficient and simple chemoselective aerobic oxidation of primary alcohols to either aldehydes or carboxylic acids in the presence of nitric acid was developed, utilising 5 wt% graphene oxide as a carbocatalyst under ambient reaction conditions. Carboxylic acid functional groups on graphene oxides played a vital role in carbocatalyst activity, greatly influencing both the reactivity and selectivity. We also applied this protocol to a variant of the Knoevenagel condensation for primary alcohols and malonates with a secondary amine co-catalyst via cooperative catalysis.