By employing atmospheric dioxygen as the sole oxidant, an eco-friendly protocol for the clean preparation of various aromatic (cyclic) ketones through phosphinate-promoted oxidation of benzylic Csp3–H bonds under base-, metal-, additive-, organic-solvent-free conditions has been developed.

A direct and efficient palladium-catalyzed reductive coupling reaction of nitroarenes with phenols has been developed. A series of N-cyclohexylaniline derivatives was easily and efficiently obtained in moderate to good yields via C–N bond formation by the simple use of safe and inexpensive sodium formate as the hydrogen donor.