METHOD OF OXIDIZING AN ALCOHOL

摘要

The invention relates to a method of oxidizing an alcohol to form an aldehyde or ketone using a ruthenium ion and oxygen in the presence of a substantially stable N-O free radical compound, wherein two atoms bound to the nitrogen atom are not themselves hydrogen carriers. It has been found that with such a combination of a ruthenium ion and radical compound not only easily oxidizable alcohols can be oxidized without the formation of carboxylic acid, but also alcohols that are difficult to oxidize, such as aliphatic alcohols having diverse functional groups, e.g. steroid alcohols and saccharide derivatives.