This work describes the preliminary study of the oxygenation reaction of 2-nitropropane and the acetylation of alcohols by 2-nitropropane in the presence of O-2 mediated by metallic copper or Cu(tmeda)(NO2)(2) (tmeda = NNN',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine). The oxygenolysis was performed in alcoholic solvents (methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol, 1-butanol, 2-butanol) under dioxygen pressure (1 atm) at 50 degreesC and was followed by Glc. The results show that the formation of acetone is the main reaction and the corresponding esters are formed only in a maximum of 30% yield.