Various combinations of vanadium derivatives (n-Bu4NVO3 is the best catalyst) with pyrazine-2-carboxylic acid (PCA) catalyse the oxidation of saturated hydrocarbons, RH, with hydrogen peroxide and air in acetonitrile solution to produce, at temperatures< 40° C, alkyl hydroperoxides, ROOH, as the main primary products. These compounds are easily reduced with triphenylphosphine to the corresponding alcohols, which can then be ...