Oxidation of Benzoin to make benzil

[Harry_-]

Does anyone know how this reaction proceeds with the following reactants?

Glacial acetic acid (i presume solvent)

Cupric acetate monohydrate 

Ammonium Nitrate

[chenbeier]

Cu2+ works as oxidiser.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzil

 

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/ed065p553

Download the PDF from there

 

[Harry_-]

What about the ammonium Nitrate. I can't find any papers on it being used in this reaction

 

[chenbeier]

Did you Download the PDF, there is ammonium nitrate used.

[Harry_-]

They say nitric acid can be used but nothing about ammonium nitrate

[chenbeier]

You didn't Download the right document.

On the first Page blue Button 473 PDF

Here the right document

 

 

synthesis of benzyl.pdf

Edited October 15, 2021 by chenbeier

[Harry_-]

Thanks so much. I'm preparing a lab experiment and can't really reference that, are there any papers that I could use?

Also I notice that the yield for that experiment is 72% whereas without ammonium nitrate and with a lot more cupric acetate monohydrate the yields on the other paper are 90%. Why is this?