Aerobic oxidation of diols to acetic acid in water

Aerobic diol oxidation reactions in water proceed by a metal catalyzed hydroxy ketone formation, which successively converts, without the need of a metal-based catalyst, into acetic acid by means of a radical-based reaction mechanism. [Display omitted] •Selected diols are oxidized to acetic acid under aerobic conditions in water.•Diol oxidation to hydroxyketone is metal nanoparticle-catalyzed.•Hydroxyketone oxidation to acetic acid is radical based in water.•Aerobic 2,3-butandiol oxidation leads to a polymeric side product. The aerobic oxidation of 1,2-propandiol and 2,3-butanediol in water in the absence and presence of a heterogeneous PtCu-based catalysts has been carried obtaining acetic acid as the most abundant organic compound in solution. Catalytic reactions carried out with reaction intermediates in the absence of catalysts clearly showed that only the diol oxidation to the corresponding hydroxy ketone is PtCu-catalyzed, while the further oxidation is radical based.