Wacker-type oxidation and dehydrogenation of terminal olefins using molecular oxygen as the sole oxidant without adding ligand.

An efficient and economical palladium-catalyzed oxidation system has been identified. The oxidation system, characterized by not adding ligand and using molecular oxygen as the sole oxidant, can realize the Tsuji-Wacker oxidation of terminal olefins and especially styrenes to methyl ketones; in addition, this system can achieve tandem Wacker oxidation-dehydrogenation of terminal olefins to α,β-unsaturated ketones.