Palladium-Catalyzed Oxidation Reactions of Alkenes with Green Oxidants

Transition-metal-catalyzed oxidative functionalization of alkenes has emerged as a powerful and valuable tool in modern organic synthesis. Recently, many methods have been established for the assembly of C-C and C-heteroatom bonds, which provides tremendous possibility for application in biology, medicine, and materials science. However, the use of stoichiometric amounts of strong oxidants leads to poor selectivity, low atom economy, and a series of undesired waste products. By contrast, green oxidants, such as O-2, H2O2, or tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP), have bright prospects due to their attributes of mild, low cost, and great sustainability in transition-metal-catalyzed oxidation reactions. Based on the great and unique potential for the development of aerobic reactions, this review mainly highlights homogenous palladium-catalyzed green oxidations of alkenes that have been reported in recent years. These methods provide new strategies for the transformation and functionalization of alkenes; some of them have also been successfully applied to the synthesis of the core structures of drugs and natural products. Additionally, through in-depth studies of the reaction mechanisms in this field, it is believed that palladium-catalyzed green oxidation reactions of alkenes with O-2, H2O2, or TBHP will create added value for organic synthetic chemistry.