Nitrous oxide activation by a cobalt(ii) complex for aldehyde oxidation under mild conditions.

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a waste gas produced in many industrial processes with an important environmental impact. Thus, its application as an oxidant is highly desirable because it produces innocuous N2 as a by-product. In this work we report a new cobalt(ii) complex that reacts with N2O under mild conditions and the catalytic application of this system to carry out the oxidation of aldehydes.