Highly efficient and metal-free aerobic hydrocarbons oxidation process by an o-phenanthroline-mediated organocatalytic system

A highly efficient o-phenanthroline-mediated, metal-free catalytic system has been developed for oxidation of hydrocarbons with dioxygen in the presence of N-hydroxyphthalimide; various hydrocarbons were efficiently and high selectively oxidized, e.g., ethylbenzene to acetophenone in 97% selectivity and 76% conversion, under mild conditions.