Gold-catalyzed liquid phase oxidations for the organic synthesis

Gold catalysts prepared by sol immobilisation and deposition-precipitation were tested in aminoalcohol oxidation for direct preparation of aminoacids. Nitrogen substitution appeared to be crucial for avoiding parallel reaction pathway, but also the reaction conditions play an important role. Basic conditions and moderate temperature (40°C) represent a good compromise for enhancing selectivity to aminoacids. Generally sol-prepared catalysts resulted more resistant to deactivation than DP-prepared catalysts, even not always the most active.