Broad spectrum catalytic system for the deep oxidation of toxic organics in aqueous medium using dioxygen as the oxidant

In water, metallic palladium was found to catalyze the deep oxidation of a wide variety of functional organics by dioxygen at 80-90 °C in the presence of carbon monoxide or dihydrogen. Several classes of organic compounds were examined: benzene, phenol and substituted phenols, nitro and halo organics, organophosphorus, and organosulfur compounds. In every case, deep oxidation to carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and water occurred in high yields, resulting in up to several hundred turnovers over a 24 h period. For substrates susceptible to hydrogenation, the conversions were generally higher with dihydrogen than with carbon monoxide. For organophosphorus compounds, the system presents the first examples of catalytic cleavage of phosphorus-alkyl bonds.