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CC BY 4.0 · SynOpen 2026; 10(01): 66-77
DOI: 10.1055/a-2780-6932
graphical review

Copper Catalysts in Oxidation/Dehydrogenation and Oxidative Functionalization of Alcohols

Authors

  • Dipanjan Bhattacharyya

    a   Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St W, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada

  • Mariana Oliveira de Paula

    a   Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St W, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada

  • Simon Koscielniak

    a   Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St W, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada

  • Pat Forgione  ∗

    a   Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St W, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
    b   Centre in Green Chemistry and Catalysis, 1375 Avenue Thérèse-Lavoie-Roux, Montréal, Québec H2V 0B3, Canada
    c   Centre for Nano Science Research, 7141 Sherbrooke St W, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada

This research was funded by NSERC Discovery Grant (RGPIN-2020-07211), Le Fonds de Recherche du Québec (FRQNT-2020-RS4-265155-CCVC), Centre in Green Chemistry and Catalysis (CGCC), MITACS/Paraza Pharma and the Richard and Edith Strauss Foundation.
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Graphical Abstract

Abstract

This graphical review highlights recent advances in copper-catalyzed oxidation and dehydrogenation of alcohols to the corresponding carbonyl compounds and their use in dehydrogenative coupling reactions. It primarily covers the developments from 2015 to the present. Different oxidative and dehydrogenative pathways are discussed under homogeneous and heterogeneous conditions. Key mechanistic features, catalytic pathways, and substrate trends for electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups (EDG and EWG) are outlined. Advances in catalyst design, the integration of copper with other metals for structural supports, such as nanoparticles and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), are illustrated. The review further emphasizes the expanding synthetic applications of copper-catalyzed alcohol oxidation or dehydrogenation in one-pot tandem transformations, leading to imines, pyridines, pyrimidines, quinazolines, quinones, and related heterocycles, showcasing the versatility of this sustainable catalytic platform.


Key words

copper catalysis - oxidation - alcohol dehydrogenation - heterogeneous pathway - homogeneous pathway - electron-donating group - electron-withdrawing group - one-pot synthesis - acceptorless

Biosketches

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Dipanjan Bhattacharyya was born in Kolkata, India. He received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from the University of Calcutta and the Indian Institute of Technology (ISM) Dhanbad, respectively. He went on to receive his Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati in 2022, after which he worked as an associate scientist at Aragen Life Sciences until 2023. He is currently pursuing his postdoctoral research at the Forgione lab where he is working on developing synthetic methodology for accessing regioselective dienes under solvent-free mechanochemical conditions.

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Mariana Oliveira de Paula was born in Campinas SP, Brazil, and obtained her BS and MS degrees in chemistry from the Federal University of Itajubá – UNIFEI, Itajubá MG, Brazil. During her MS studies, where she was under the supervision of Prof. Daniela Sachs, she undertook a short-term internship at Colorado State University (Fort Collins, CO, USA) in the summer of 2023 under the supervision of Prof. Ketul Popat. Her research was focused on the preparation of liposomes encapsulated with antibiotics to enhance their activity against resistant bacteria. Currently, she is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Concordia University, working under the supervision of Dr. Pat Forgione on the development of novel synthetic methodologies.

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Simon Koscielniak was born in Montreal, Canada, where he earned his B.Sc. in biochemistry from Concordia University. As an undergraduate, he conducted independent research under the supervision of Dr. Brandon Findlay, investigating the evolutionary role of geosmin synthase in bacteria. In 2024, he began his Ph.D. in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Concordia University, working under the supervision of Dr. Pat Forgione on the synthesis of novel organic semiconducting materials.

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Pat Forgione was born in Brantford, Canada, and obtained his B.Sc. in chemistry from the University of Waterloo (Honours Thesis, Professor V. A. Snieckus), his Ph.D. from the University of Ottawa (Professor A. G. Fallis), and was subsequently a postdoctoral fellow at The Ohio State University (Professor L. A. Paquette). After five years as a research scientist at Boehringer Ingelheim working on small-molecule antiviral drug discovery, he started his academic career at Concordia University with research areas including green chemistry, medicinal chemistry and materials science focused on heteroaromatic target molecules.

Oxidation/dehydrogenation reactions are among the most fundamental classes of reactions currently employed in synthetic chemistry. Traditionally, these reactions tend to utilize stoichiometric oxidants, additives and/or promoters, leading to generation of excess waste. Thus, the development of new and sustainable processes focusing on catalytic transformations are highly desirable.

In the context of oxidation and dehydrogenation reactions, alcohols hold a prominent position owing to their widespread occurrence and versatility. These reactions generate carbonyl compounds that are not only valuable but also act as synthetic handles for several oxidative/dehydrogenative coupling reactions, leading to a vast array of value-added fine chemicals. While a plethora of precious-metal catalysts are reported for such transformations, copper-catalyzed synthesis presents a number of advantages including, (a) copper is far less expensive and more abundant; (b) as a first-row transition metal, it fits well into green chemistry principles; (c) copper systems often produce benign by-products; (d) numerous copper systems operate under ambient conditions without the need for a dry and/or an inert atmosphere.

Generally, copper-catalyzed transformations of alcohols to the corresponding carbonyls can be classified as (a) aerobic oxidation; (b) oxidation in the presence of catalytic amounts of an external oxidant; and (c) acceptorless dehydrogenation reactions. Herein we aim to address the recent advances in these approaches over the last decade (2015 to present). We highlight the differences in the mechanistic pathways for the same transformation and the associated conditions. This graphical review also showcases the versatility and sustainability of catalytic systems by expanding the synthetic utility of copper-catalyzed alcohol oxidation and dehydrogenation to one-pot tandem transformations, enabling rapid and facile access to imines, pyridines, pyrimidines, quinazolines, quinones, and related heterocycles.

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Figure 1 Copper-catalyzed aerobic oxidation of alcohols using nitroxyl radical systems[1`] [b] [c] [d] [e] [f] [g] [h] [i] [j] [k] [l] [m] [n]
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Figure 2 Copper-catalyzed oxidation/dehydrogenation of alcohols[2`] [b] [c] [d] [e] [f] [g] [h] [i] [j]
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Figure 3 Copper-catalyzed oxidation of alcohols under heterogeneous conditions[3`] [b] [c] [d] [e] [f] [g] [h] [i] [j] [k] [l] [m] [n] [o] [p] [q] [r] [s] [t] [u]
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Figure 4 Copper-catalyzed synthesis of imines[1h] [2j] , [4`] [b] [c] [d] [e] [f] [g] [h] [i] [j]
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Figure 5 Copper-catalyzed synthesis of quinolines[5`] [b] [c] [d] [e] [f] [g]
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Figure 6 Copper-catalyzed synthesis of quinolines under heterogeneous conditions[6`] [b] [c] [d] [e] [f]
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Figure 7 Copper-catalyzed synthesis of quinazolines and quinazolinones[5a] [d] , [7`] [b] [c] [d] [e] [f]
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Figure 8 Copper-catalyzed synthesis of indoles and 1H-benzo[d]imidazoles[4j] , [8`] [b] [c] [d]
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Figure 9 Copper-catalyzed synthesis of other N-heterocycles[5f] [6c] , [9`] [b] [c] [d]

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgment

We appreciate the help from our lab colleagues for their valuable suggestions.


Corresponding Author

Pat Forgione
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University
7141 Sherbrooke St W, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6
Canada   

Publication History

Received: 07 November 2025

Accepted after revision: 31 December 2025

Article published online:
05 February 2026

© 2026. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Figure 1 Copper-catalyzed aerobic oxidation of alcohols using nitroxyl radical systems[1`] [b] [c] [d] [e] [f] [g] [h] [i] [j] [k] [l] [m] [n]
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Figure 2 Copper-catalyzed oxidation/dehydrogenation of alcohols[2`] [b] [c] [d] [e] [f] [g] [h] [i] [j]
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Figure 3 Copper-catalyzed oxidation of alcohols under heterogeneous conditions[3`] [b] [c] [d] [e] [f] [g] [h] [i] [j] [k] [l] [m] [n] [o] [p] [q] [r] [s] [t] [u]
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Figure 4 Copper-catalyzed synthesis of imines[1h] [2j] , [4`] [b] [c] [d] [e] [f] [g] [h] [i] [j]
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Figure 5 Copper-catalyzed synthesis of quinolines[5`] [b] [c] [d] [e] [f] [g]
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Figure 6 Copper-catalyzed synthesis of quinolines under heterogeneous conditions[6`] [b] [c] [d] [e] [f]
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Figure 7 Copper-catalyzed synthesis of quinazolines and quinazolinones[5a] [d] , [7`] [b] [c] [d] [e] [f]
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Figure 8 Copper-catalyzed synthesis of indoles and 1H-benzo[d]imidazoles[4j] , [8`] [b] [c] [d]
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Figure 9 Copper-catalyzed synthesis of other N-heterocycles[5f] [6c] , [9`] [b] [c] [d]