Biomimetic Baeyer–Villiger oxidation of ketones with SnO2 as cocatalyst, features in activating carbonyl group of substrates

•SnO2 was used as cocatalyst in the Fe porphyrins-mediated B–V oxidation.•The major role of SnO2 was to active cyclohexanone molecules in the oxidation.•The cocatalytic effect of SnO2 was confirmed by in situ Raman spectroscopy.

The cocatalytic effect of SnO2 on the iron(III) porphyrins-catalyzed aerobic Baeyer–Villiger oxidation of cyclohexanone in the presence of benzaldehyde as reductant was investigated, the conversion of cyclohexanone was remarkablely enhanced, reaching up to 96%. The major role of SnO2 was to active cyclohexanone molecules, which was confirmed by in situ Raman spectroscopy. A plausible cocatalytic mechanism involving the activated cyclohexanone was proposed.

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