Derek H. R. Barton, Tingsheng Li and John MacKinnon
Saturated hydrocarbons and hydrogen sulfide can be synergistically oxidised by oxygen (or air) to give efficiently ketones (and the corresponding alcohols) and sulfur in the presence of a Gif catalyst based on FeII, picolinic acid and 4-tert-butylpyridine with acetonitrile as solvent at room temperature and nearly neutral pH.