Aerobic oxidation of diverse primary alcohols to methyl esters with a readily accessible heterogeneous Pd/Bi/Te catalyst.

Efficient aerobic oxidative methyl esterification of primary alcohols has been achieved with a heterogeneous catalyst consisting of 1 mol % Pd/charcoal (5 wt %) in combination with bismuth(III) nitrate and tellurium metal. The Bi and Te additives significantly increase the reaction rate, selectivity, and overall product yields. This readily accessible catalyst system exhibits a broad substrate scope and is effective with both activated (benzylic) and unactivated (aliphatic) alcohols bearing diverse functional groups.