AlCl3-catalyzed oxidation of alcohol

The metalloid salt AlCl3, applied as catalyst for the oxidation of alcohol was presented. In water media, variety of alcohols, including inactive aliphatic alcohols, could be converted into corresponding carbonyl compounds with excellent conversion and selectivity. Especially, this green reaction system also exemplifies advances toward the domino synthesis alkenes in good yields (>52%) and perfect purity (>99%), and the reaction gave preferentially the E-isomer. The obvious advantages of the present protocol include green reaction media, wide functional group tolerance, convenient product isolation, as well as grams reaction scale.