Iron(III) Chloride Catalysed Photooxygenation of Alcohol Solutions of Alkanes by Atmospheric Oxygen

Alkanes (cyclohexane, pentane, hexane, heptane, 3-methylhexane) have been oxidised to the corresponding alcohols, together with minor amounts of ketones (aldehydes) by irradiation of solutions of the alkanes in aliphatic alcohols in air in the presence of catalytic amounts of FeCI₃: unusual selectivity in the reaction is revealed.