Does anyone know how this reaction proceeds with the following reactants?

Glacial acetic acid (i presume solvent)

Cupric acetate monohydrate 

Ammonium Nitrate

Cu2+ works as oxidiser.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzil

 

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/ed065p553

Download the PDF from there

 

What about the ammonium Nitrate. I can't find any papers on it being used in this reaction

 

Did you Download the PDF, there is ammonium nitrate used.

They say nitric acid can be used but nothing about ammonium nitrate

You didn't Download the right document.

On the first Page blue Button 473 PDF

Here the right document

 

 

synthesis of benzyl.pdf

Edited October 15, 20214 yr by chenbeier

Thanks so much. I'm preparing a lab experiment and can't really reference that, are there any papers that I could use?

Also I notice that the yield for that experiment is 72% whereas without ammonium nitrate and with a lot more cupric acetate monohydrate the yields on the other paper are 90%. Why is this?