Anaerobic oxidation of aldehydes to carboxylic acids under hydrothermal conditions

Examples of anaerobic oxidation of aldehydes in hydrothermal solutions are reported. The reaction using iron( iii ) nitrate as the oxidant occurs under mild hydrothermal conditions and generates carboxylic acids in good yields. This method differs from previous studies which use atmospheric oxygen as the oxidant. Efficient anaerobic oxidation of aldehydes using iron( iii ) nitrate under hydrothermal conditions is reported.