A ligand-free Pd(OAc)2 catalyst for the Wacker oxidation of styrene derivatives using hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant

A feasible palladium-catalyzed Wacker oxidation system has been developed, which is characterized by not adding ligand and using hydrogen peroxide as the sole oxidant. Compared with the traditional Wacker system, the described method offers a facile and environment-friendly choice using the green oxidant, and can be applied to more complex substrates.