A simple, efficient, and environmentally-friendly heterogeneous Ru/C-catalyzed oxidation of secondary and primary alcohols without additives under an atmosphere of oxygen has been established.

A palladium on carbon (Pd/C)-catalyzed synthetic method for the preparation of benzil derivatives from 1,2-diarylalkynes has been established using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and molecular oxygen as dual oxidants. Regardless of the electrical nature of the functional groups on the aroA C H T U N G T R E N N U N G matic rings, 1,2-diarylalkynes were oxidized to the corresponding benzil derivatives in high to excellent yields. Furthermore, the oxidation could efficiently be catalyzed by both the dry and wet types of Pd/C under atmospheric conditions.

Pyridine N‐oxide works as an effective oxidant of 1,2‐diarylalkynes at 120 °C to form benzil derivatives under Pd/C‐catalyzed solvent‐free conditions, and Pd/C could be reused up to five times after simple filtration.

We have established the first catalytic C-C and C-N bond formation reactions of O-heterocycles (e.g., tetrahydrofuran, phthalane, and lactone derivatives) using iron trichloride as a catalyst in the presence of TMSN3 or allylsilanes accompanied by the ring opening of O-heterocycles. The reactions smoothly proceeded at room temperature to give the corresponding primary saturated alcohols from the 2-substituted tetrahydrofurans, ortho-substituted benzyl alcohols from phthalanes, and saturated carboxylic acids from lactones in high yields.

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