Microwave-assisted selenium dioxide oxidation of aryl methyl ketones to aryl glyoxals

We report an improved procedure for the synthesis of phenyl glyoxal and a series of para-substituted aryl glyoxals by microwave-assisted selenium dioxide oxidation. The reaction time has been reduced from several hours to three minutes for activated aryl methyl ketone substrates and 18 min for deactivated substrates, with all reactions affording quantitative conversion into the corresponding aryl glyoxals.