An efficient enantioselective oxidative reaction catalyzed by a chiral cobalt complex has been developed by using molecular oxygen as the stoichiometric oxidant (see scheme). The very mild reaction conditions of the catalytic system provide access to a wide range of benzoins (alpha-hydroxyketones) in high yield and excellent enantioselectivity (s (k(f)/k(s)) up to 47). This method is very versatile because the sole by-product of our oxidation process is water, which makes our system more eco-friendly and green.