Selective Oxidation of Oxygen-Containing Molecules

The selective oxidation of multifunctional organic molecules to give products of greater value is an important target in the fine chemicals industry. 

One of the most surprising and potentially important aspects of the recent advances in catalysis by gold has been the discovery that many reactions of this type can be successfully accomplished under mild conditions.60 2 It is clearly a requirement that only one of the functions of the molecule should be attacked in the case of the reducing sugars and related alcohols (e.g. D-sorbitol), the aldehyde group or one of the terminal hydroxyl groups can be selectively oxidised by gold catalysts  

Similar success has been obtained with smaller diols (e.g. 1,2- 

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