Aerobic organocatalytic oxidation of aryl aldehydes: flavin catalyst turnover by Hantzsch's ester.

The first Dakin oxidation fueled by molecular oxygen as the terminal oxidant is reported. Flavin and NAD(P)H coenzymes, from natural enzymatic redox systems, inspired the use of flavin organocatalysts and a Hantzsch ester to perform transition-metal-free, aerobic oxidations. Catechols and electron-rich phenols are achieved with as low as a 0.1 mol % catalyst loading, 1 equiv of Hantzsch ester, and O(2) or air as the stoichiometric oxidant source.