Catalytic use of o-iodoxybenzoic acid (IBX) in the presence of Oxone as a co-oxidant is demonstrated for the convenient oxidation of substituted toluenes to the corresponding benzoic acids, other alkylbenzenes to phenyl ketones and phenylcylcoalkanes to the corresponding benzoylalkanoic acids. Oxidative deprotection of benzyl ethers are also possible using this catalytic system. Several examples of these oxidative transformations will be presented. A uniform mechanism involving a peroxyester intermediate of the type shown inside the box below will also be discussed.