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.
When ketones were treated with ammonium chloride and Oxone in MeOH at room temperature, a direct or-chlorination of ketones was occurred and a series of the corresponding α-chloroketones were obtained in moderate to good yields after 24 h. In this reaction, ammonium chloride was used as the source of chlorine and Oxone was used as an oxidant. This method was simple, convenient and providing a novel procedure for preparation of α-chloroketones.
