Catalysis of giant palladium cluster complexes.: Highly selective oxidations of primary allylic alcohols to α,β-unsaturated aldehydes in the presence of molecular oxygen

A giant Pd cluster, Pd(561)phen(60)(OAc)(180), has high catalytic activity for the selective oxidations of various primary allylic alcohols to the corresponding alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes in the presence of molecular oxygen under mild reaction conditions. A Pd cluster anchored on TiO2 also catalyzes the above oxidations; the heterogeneous Pd-561 cluster catalyst is easily separated from the reaction mixture and is reusable. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.