Production of hydrogen peroxide via aerobic oxidation of alcohols catalyzed by N-hydroxyphthalimide

An efficient method for production of hydrogen peroxide via aerobic oxidation of alcohols was achieved by the use of N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) as a catalyst. For instance, the oxidation of benzhydrol in the presence of a catalytic amount of NHPI under dioxygen (1 atm) in ethyl acetate at 75 degrees C gave H2O2 in 51% yield along with benzophenone (72%). The production of H2O2 from various alcohols was also examined. The reaction proceeds through the formation of an alpha-hydroxy hydroperoxide as a transient intermediate derived from an alcohol and dioxygen by the action of NHPI.