Copper/TEMPO catalysed synthesis of nitriles from aldehydes or alcohols using aqueous ammonia and with air as the oxidantDedicated to Professor David J. Cole-Hamilton on the occasion of his retirement and for his outstanding contributions to transition metal catalysis.Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Further details of experimental procedures and 1H and 13C NMR spectra. See DOI: 10.1039/c3cc42231c

Copper/TEMPO catalysts can be used to prepare nitriles from aldehydes or alcohols using aqueous ammonia. Readily accessible methods were developed that enable standard glassware to be used with air as the source of O 2 . It was further shown that, at higher temperatures in a pressurised reactor under limiting oxygen conditions (8% O 2 ), catalyst loadings of 1 mol% could be employed. A safe and readily accessible method for the aerobic catalytic synthesis of nitriles from aldehydes or alcohols.