Oxidation using activated carbon and molecular oxygen system.

This paper describes the utility of an activated carbon-molecular oxygen system, not only in the oxidation of benzylic and allylic alcohols, but also in the direct carbonylation at the benzylic position. The preparation of a variety of heteroaromatic and aromatic compounds, including substituted pyridines, pyrazoles, benzoxazoles, benzimidazoles, benzothiazoles, 2-substituted imidazoles, indoles, pyrimidin-2(1H)-ones, and anthracenes, by oxidative aromatization using the activated carbon-molecular oxygen system is also discussed. Copyright 2008 The Japan Chemical Journal Forum and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.