Highly efficient controllable oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes and acids with sodium periodate catalyzed by water-soluble metalloporphyrins as biomimetic catalyst.

Highly efficient controllable oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes or acids by sodium periodate in the presence of water-soluble manganese porphyrins (meso-tetrakis(N-ethylpyridinium-4-yl)manganese porphyrin, MnTEPyP) with different reaction media has been reported. The manganese porphyrin showed excellent activity for the controllable oxidation of various alcohols under mild conditions. Moreover, different factors influencing alcohol oxidation, for example, oxidant, catalyst amount, temperature, and solvent, have been investigated. A plausible mechanism for the controllable oxidation of alcohol has been proposed.