A heterogenized Pd catalyst, Pd(II)-hydrotalcite (palladium(II) acetate-pyridine complex supported by hydrotalcite) catalyzes the aerobic oxidation in toluene of a variety of primary and secondary alcohols into the corresponding aldehydes and ketones in high yields using atmospheric pressure of air as a sole oxidant under mild conditions. This catalyst is also effective for the oxidation of allylic alcohols, especially such as geraniol and nerol, without any isomerization of an alkenic part. The catalyst can be easily prepared from all commercially available reagents and reused several times.

A catalytic system consisting of vanadium oxyacetylacetonate [VO(acac)(2)] and 3 A molecular sieves (MS3A) in acetonitrile works effectively for the aerobic oxidation of propargylic alcohols [R(1)CH(OH)Ctbd1;CR(2)] to the corresponding carbonyl compounds under an atmospheric pressure of molecular oxygen. Although the reactivity of alpha-acetylenic alkanols (R(1) = alkyl) is lower compared to that of the alcohols of R(1) = aryl, alkenyl, and alkynyl, the use of VO(hfac)(2) as a catalyst and the addition of hexafluoroacetylacetone improve the product yield in these cases. A catalytic cycle involving a vanadium(V) alcoholate species and beta-hydrogen elimination from it has been proposed for this oxidation.

Vanadium oxyacetylacetonate [VO(acac) 2 ] works as a catalyst for the direct synthesis of 3-sulfanylindoles from indoles and thiols under an atmospheric pressure of molecular oxygen as a reoxidant. For example, the reaction of 2-phenylindole with benzenethiol in the presence of a catalytic amount of VO(acac) 2 , potassium iodide, and 2,6-di-tert-butyl-p-cresol in chlorobenzene under molecular oxygen proceeds to afford 2-phenyl-3-(phenylsulfanyl)indole in 86% yield. This catalytic system can also be applied to 2-naphthols instead of indoles to give the corresponding 1-sulfanyl-2-naphthols in up to 57% yield.

An improved system for selective aerobic oxidation of amines to imines or nitriles is presented. It involves commercially available and inexpensive copper(I) or (II) chloride as catalyst, toluene as solvent, and MS3A as dehydrating agent under an atmospheric pressure of oxygen. A variety of amines can be used as substrates for this oxidation system to give the corresponding nitriles from primary amines (up to 97% yield; TON, up to 60) and the imines from secondary amines (up to 90% yield; TON, up to 45).