Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 19, 2026

Original Experimental Approach for Assessing Transport Fuel Stability
Published on: October 21, 2016
Metal-free aerobic alcohol oxidation: intensification under three-phase flow conditions
Christof Aellig1, David Scholz, Ive Hermans
1Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
Abstract:
The selective oxidation of alcohols is a pivotal transformation within industrial and synthetic chemistry. In this contribution we use O₂ as terminal oxidant and (H)NO(x) species as oxygen shuttle in order to mediate the oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols under the influence of a solid acid catalyst. Process optimization and intensification through the use of a continuous three-phase flow reactor is demonstrated. Space-time yields were found to increase by two orders of magnitude with respect to batch experiments, along with additional gains in selectivity and a decrease of N₂O formation.
Related Concept Videos
Oxidation of Alcohols
The process of oxidation in a chemical reaction is observed in any of the three forms:
Radical Oxidation of Allylic and Benzylic Alcohols
Phase I Reactions: Oxidation of Aliphatic and Aromatic Carbon-Containing Systems
Oxidation reactions are fundamental in aromatic carbon-containing systems. An example is the hydroxylation of phenobarbital, a process that transforms it into...
Phase I Oxidative Reactions: Overview
Bioreactor Controls-II
Oxidative Cleavage of Alkenes: Ozonolysis
Ozone is a symmetrical bent molecule stabilized by a resonance structure.

