Aerobic Oxidation of 9H-Fluorenes to 9-Fluorenones using Mono-/Multilayer Graphene-Supported Alkaline Catalyst

The synthesis of 9-fluorenone derivatives has been achieved in high yield and with high purity by aerobic oxidation of 9H-fluorenes at room temperature in the presence of a graphene-supported KOH composite that acts as a catalyst in N,N-dimethylformamide. The new protocol involves very simple work-up procedures, and the solvent and the catalyst can be recycled and reused. A scaled-up preparative study employing this method was also conducted and showed its advantages of being both cost-effective and environmentally friendly, and has potential for application in industrial processes.