Abstract The aerobic oxidation of various hydroquinones was achieved by using copper nanoparticles entrapped in aluminum oxyhydroxide [Cu/AlO (OH)] at room temperature. Furthermore, 2, 5-diamino-1, 4-benzoquinones were synthesized directly from hydroquinone and amines by a one-pot procedure consisting of the copper-catalyzed aerobic oxidation of hydroquinones and the double addition of amines to the resulting quinones.