2,3-Dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ)/tert-Butyl Nitrite/Oxygen: A Versatile Catalytic Oxidation System

A new catalytic oxidation system using catalytic amounts of 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ) and tert-butyl nitrite with molecular oxygen serving as the environmentally benign, terminal oxidant has been developed. This aerobic catalytic system was established for the selective oxidation of non-sterically hindered benzylic alcohols and electron-rich benzyl methyl ethers, and successfully extended to an application in the oxidative deprotection of PMB ethers to the alcohols in high selectivity.