A host-guest interaction activated Bobbitt oxidant for highly efficient oxidation of alcohols.

Host-guest complexation using hydrogen-bonded macrocycles was found to enable activation of the Bobbitt oxidant reagent, which greatly facilitates the highly efficient oxidation of unactivated primary alcohols. This work provides a complementary approach to the activation of Bobbitt's salt with shape-persistent macrocycles in supramolecular catalysis.