An environmentally benign benzylic oxidation catalyzed by hypervalent iodine intermediate in water

An effective and environmentally benign benzylic oxidation for transition of alkylarenes into the corresponding carbonyl compounds was reported. Alkylarenes were mixed and stirred with potassium bromide, m-chloroperbenzoic acid and a catalytic amount of iodobenzene in water at 60 ℃ for several hours, a series of the corresponding carbonyl compounds was obtained in moderate to good yields. In the reaction, iodobenzene was first oxidized by m-chloroperbenzoic acid into the hypervalent iodine intermediate which then reacted with potassium bromide to form the key radical initiator for the benzylic oxidation.