Oxidation of benzylic methylenes to ketones with Oxone-KBr in aqueous acetonitrile under transition metal free conditions

A green and highly efficient protocol for the oxidation of benzylic methylenes to their corresponding ketones with a combination of Oxone and KBr in aqueous acetonitrile is developed. The H218O labeling experiment demonstrated that the oxygen introduced into ketone originated from water. A plausible mechanism was also suggested.