Catalytic aerobic oxidation of halogenated phenols

Phenol pollutants such as halophenols and guaiacol derivatives are produced as byproducts of many industrial processes. Aerobic oxidations for their degradation in the context of effluent treatment or environmental remediation often lack selectivity. This work describes a copper (Cu)-catalyzed approach that converts three equivalents of halogenated phenols into a single ortho-quinone, at the expense of reducing dioxygen (O2) to water (H2O).