Rubén Martín and Joan Gallardo-Donaire describe an operationally simple and user-friendly methodology to obtain hydroxylated arenes under mild reaction conditions with excellent chemoselectivity.

The protocol consists of a formal Cu-catalysed hydroxylation assisted by benzoic acid and it is applicable to a wide range of substrates.

The paper has been one of the most read articles from the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS) in June.