Aerobic oxidative lactonization of diols at room temperature over defective titanium-based oxides in water

A green route to lactone: an environmentally benign catalytic strategy is developed for the conversion of diols into corresponding lactones over defective titanium-based oxide materials. The Pt-loaded catalysts give efficient activity for the complete aerobic lactonization of 1,2-benzenedimethanol to phthalide at 30 °C after 4 h, and can effectively convert various aromatic/aliphatic diols into corresponding lactones at room temperature in water.