Alcohols, secondary, oxidation with sodium dichromate

Oxidation with sodium dichromate. Primary and secondary alcohols are oxidized to aldehydes and ketones in 80-90% yield by Na2Cr2 07 2H2O and sulfuric acid in DMSO at 70° (90 min.). DMSO is not involved and acts as a solvent. In its absence, considerable charring occurs with further oxidation of the carbonyl product. Cr03 can also be used as oxidant. ... 

The oxidation of secondary alcohols with sodium dichromate in dilute sulphuric acid gives acceptable yields of ketones since these do not normally undergo extensive further oxidation under the reaction conditions (cf. Section 5.7.1, p. 587, the oxidation of primary alcohols to aldehydes). 

The oxidation of a secondary alcohol to a ketone is usually accomplished with a solution of the alcohol and aqueous acidic chromic acid in either acetone or acetic acid, with a solution of sodium dichromate in acetic acid, or by reaction of the alcohol with aqueous acidic chromic acid as a heterogeneous system. An example is the oxidation of the substituted cyclohexanol below (Reaction XXXV) with sodium dichromate in sulfuric acid (55). 

Mitsunobu reaction as well as by mesylation and subsequent base treatment failed, the secondary alcohol was inverted by oxidation with pyridinium dichromate and successive reduction with sodium borohydride. The inverted alcohol 454 was protected as an acetate and the acetonide was removed by acid treatment to enable conformational flexibility. Persilylation of triol 455 was succeeded by acetate cleavage with guanidine. Alcohol 456 was deprotonated to assist lactonization. Mild and short treatment with aqueous hydrogen fluoride allowed selective cleavage of the secondary silyl ether. Dehydration of the alcohol 457 was achieved by Tshugaejf vesLCtion. The final steps toward corianin (21) were deprotection of the tertiary alcohols of 458 and epoxidation with peracid. This alternative corianin synthesis needed 34 steps in 0.13% overall yield. 

Reaction of the C-0 and O-H Bonds Primary alcohols oxidize to carboxylic acids secondary alcohols oxidize to ketones with chromium trioxide or sodium dichromate. Tertiary alcohols do not oxidize under mild conditions. With pyridinium chlorochromate (PCC) the oxidation of primary alcohols can be stopped at aldehydes. 

Many of the preferred reagents for the oxidation of primary alcohols to aldehydes (secondary alcohols to ketones) contain the transition metal chromium in its highest oxidation state, VI. Upon reaction with an alcohol, the yellow-orange chromium(VI) species is reduced to the blue-green chromium(III) state. Normally the reaction is carried out in aqueous acid solution using the sodium dichromate salt, Na2Cr207, or the oxide, CrOs. A typical reaction is shown here ... 

Primary and secondary hydroxyl groups can be mildly oxidized to carbonyl groups (aldehydes or ketones) by reaction with pyridinium dichromate. Primary tosyl groups can also be oxidized to aldehydes by reaction with DMSO in collidine. Primary hydroxyl groups can be mildly and selectively oxidized, in the presence of secondary alcohols, to carboxyl groups by reaction with 2,2,6,6-tetram-ethyl-1-piperidine oxoammonium ion (TEMPO) to form uronic acids. Uronic acid carboxyl groups can be reduced to primary alcohols by reaction with car-bodiimide and sodium borohydride. 

Alcohols are often oxidized with chromium(VI) compounds. When the alcohol is oxidized, Cr(VI) is reduced in several steps to Cr(III). The specific Cr(VI) species used depends on the scale of the process, the cost of reagents, and limitations that result firom the presence of other functional groups in the reactant. For example, the inexpensive reagent sodium dichromate (Na2Cr207) oxidizes secondary alcohols to ketones. It also oxidizes primary alcohols to aldehydes and then to carboxylic acids. Sodium dichromate in acetic acid (HOAc) is used in large-scale reactions to convert secondary alcohols to ketones. 

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