Palladium/Benzoquinone-Catalyzed electrochemical oxidation of alcohols under anaerobic conditions

Primary and secondary alcohols are oxidized to aldehydes and ketones, respectively, under anaerobic conditions in DMF at 80 degrees C, in the presence of a base and catalytic amounts of Pd(OAC)(2) and p-benzoquinone. The latter oxidizes the transient Pd(0) formed in the catalytic cycle to Pd(II) and p-hydroquinone is re-oxidized electrochemically.