H2O2 in WEB: a highly efficient catalyst system for the Dakin reaction

Without using any transition metal catalyst, ligand, base, toxic or hazardous reagent, additives/promoters and organic solvent, green Dakin reactions have been successfully carried out by using H2O2 in a natural feedstock extract. The reaction proceeds in neat 'Water Extract of Banana' (WEB) at room temperature under aerobic conditions in very short reaction times and, therefore, it is an evergreen and environmentally sound alternative to the existing protocols for the Dakin reaction. In our system, the reaction was found to afford excellent yield for the desired product with different electron-withdrawing and electron-donating hydroxylated benzaldehydes.