The aerobic oxidation of alcohols and aldehydes is a crucial process in organic synthesis for preparing fine chemicals. In particular, the oxidation of glucose, a cheap and renewable starting material, represents a challenging target involving 60,000 ton/year of gluconates. Here we present a critical comparison between two selective "green processes" based on the use of molecular oxygen in water solution under mild conditions, showing that the emerging gold-based catalysis is a valid alternative to enzymatic catalysis so far used in industrial production of gluconates. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.