Gold nanoparticles supported on carbon coated magnetic nanoparticles; a robustness and effective catalyst for aerobic alcohols oxidation in water

•Disclose a catalytic system based on gold nanoparticles immobilized on Fe3O4@C that effective in aqueous-phase oxidation of alcohols by using O2 as the final oxidant.•Three kinds of gold nanoparticles supported on carbon coated magnetic nanoparticles Fe3O4@C@Au(B) 1, Fe3O4@C@Au(N) 2 and Fe3O4@C@Au(C) 3 are prepared.•Catalyst 3 is found to be significantly more selective in the aerobic oxidation of alcohols in water, which affords the corresponding carbonyl compound derivatives in good to excellent yields and excellent selectivities without the formation of any acids in the case of primary benzyl alcohols.•It is believed that the presence of carbon as support on the structure of the catalyst not only provides a good distribution of Au nanoparticles on the surface of the support but also generates a stable dispersion of the catalyst in water as the reaction medium.