One‐Pot, Clean Synthesis of Vanillic Acid from Ferulic Acid

Abstract Ferulic acid dissolved in water is selectively oxidized to vanillic acid in high yield (≈60 %) under remarkably mild and green conditions, namely at room temperature with air as primary oxidant, over a catalytic amount of nanostructured Bi 2 WO 6 . The process is general and opens the route to the selective oxidation of natural substances into derivatives of significant applicative relevance.