To a flame-dried 250-mL Teflon-sealed Schlenk flask equipped with a magnetic stir bar was added pyridine 3-1 (2.0 g, 5.5 mmol, 1.0 equiv), Mn(OAc)3•2H2O (14.8 mg, 5.5 mmol, 10 mol %), and MeCN (55 mL, 0.1 M). To the reaction mixture was added anhydrous TBHP (4.0 mL, 22.0 mmol, 4.0 equiv, 5.5 M in decane) at room temperature. The reaction vessel was then sealed and placed in a room temperature sonication bath for 5 minutes. The reaction mixture was removed from the sonication bath and then allowed to stir at room temperature.