Hydroperoxides alkenyl

Alkenyl hydroperoxides, free radical cycUzation, 212-18 Alkoxide free radical, hydroperoxide determination, 675... 

HomoaUyhc peroxy-radicals, alkenyl hydroperoxide cychzation, 213-14 Homodesmic reactions, dioxetanes, 164 Homologous series acyl peroxides, 162... 

The proposed mechanism (Scheme 1) involves the mixed-valence compounds [Rh2" " ( Ji-cap)4(OH)] and [Rh2 (p.-cap)4(OOt-Bu)] formed from the homolytic cleavage of t-BuOOH. The t-BuOO radicals in the medium promote a selective hydrogen abstraction from the alkene to give the allylic alkenyl radical. This species traps the peroxide in [Rh2 (p.-cap)4 (OOt-Bu)] to produce the alkenyl hydroperoxide, which rapidly decomposes to the isolated products, thus regenerating the catalyst. 

Pure and commercial mixtures of 1-alkenes in the Ci5 to Ci8 range were studied at high temperatures and high conversion levels. The reaction variables were studied to make desired reproducible mixtures containing substantial concentrations of alkenyl hydroperoxides and polymeric dialkyl peroxides. 

Our laboratory oxidations were carried out by bubbling dry air at 80 to 125 cc. per minute STP, at 110°C. through 500 ml. of olefin in a round-bottomed, 1-liter, standard-taper, three-necked flask equipped with magnetic stirrer, Therm-O-watch controller, electric heating mantle, and condenser. Alkenyl hydroperoxide numbers [Method I of Mair and Graupner (11)] and polymeric dialkyl peroxide numbers (Method III minus Method I of Ref. 11) were determined on small aliquots of about 5 ml. withdrawn at various times. 

Substantial alkenyl hydroperoxide concentrations build up in 1-hexa-decene, 2-octene, mixed internal olefins, and mixed Ci4-Ci6 alpha-olefins... 

Results obtained in glass apparatus are summarized in Figure 1. The unsaturation falls off nearly linearly after a short induction period. After the hydroperoxide functional groups attain their maximum, the olefin disappearance decreases and becomes nonlinear as it is consumed by reaction to form polymeric dialkyl peroxide functions. The maximum concentration of polymeric dialkyl peroxide occurs well after the maximum alkenyl hydroperoxide concentration, giving the appearance of a sequential oxidation mechanism. Infrared and gas-liquid chromatographic analyses showed that hydroxylic derivatives, carbonyl derivatives, and lower molecular weight olefins continued to build up as by-products as the oxidation proceeded, as does the acidity titer. 

The alkenyl hydroperoxides and polymeric dialkyl peroxides are fairly stable at ambient temperature but decompose appreciably at the reaction temperatures studied. Thermal stabilities of the alkenyl hydroperoxides and dialkyl peroxides in the olefin solution were determined by heating the solution at 110°C. under nitrogen. The peroxide numbers were plotted vs. time to estimate the half-lives in solution. The thermal decomposition half-lives of these alkenyl hydroperoxides are compared with values from the literature for acyclic and cyclic hydroperoxides in Table IV. Secondary acyclic alkenyl hydroperoxides appear to be less... 

The experimental activation energies given in the last column of Table II are in the anticipated order of magnitudes. The activation energy of 24.0 kcal. per mole for the oxidation of 1-hexadecene to hydroperoxide is close to the value of 25.3 kcal. per mole recently reported for the constant velocity of peroxide accumulation. .. for butene-1 (9). The activation energy for the alkenyl hydroperoxide decomposition is reasonable. The activation energy of 48.1 kcal. per mole for the decomposition polymeric dialkyl peroxide is considerably higher than the value of about 37 kcal. per mole for tert-butyl peroxide decomposition. The... 

It is generally agreed that alkenyl hydroperoxides are primary products in the liquid-phase oxidation of olefins. Kamneva and Panfilova (8) believe the dimeric and trimeric dialkyl peroxides they obtained from the oxidation of cyclohexene at 35° to 40° to be secondary products resulting from cyclohexene hydroperoxide. But Van Sickle and co-workers (20) report that, The abstraction/addition ratio is nearly independent of temperature in oxidation of isobutylene and cycloheptene and of solvent changes in oxidations of cyclopentene, tetramethylethylene, and cyclooctene. They interpret these results to support a branching mechanism which gives rise to alkenyl hydroperoxide and polymeric dialkyl peroxide, both as primary oxidation products. This interpretation has been well accepted (7, 13). Brill s (4) and our results show that acyclic alkenyl hydroperoxides decompose extensively at temperatures above 100°C. to complicate the reaction kinetics and mechanistic interpretations. A simplified reaction scheme is outlined below. 

At Van Sickle s conditions of low temperatures and low conversions, branching routes A and B appear to be dominant since there is little alkenyl hydroperoxide decomposition. In our work above 100°C., the branching routes are supported by the nearly linear initial portions at low conversions for alkenyl hydroperoxide and polymeric dialkyl peroxide curves (see Figures 2, 3, and 4). The polymeric dialkyl peroxides formed under our reaction conditions include those formed by the branching mechanism postulated by Van Sickle (routes A and B) and those formed by the reaction of the alkenoxy and hydroxy radicals from alkenyl hydroperoxide thermal decomposition reacting further and alternately with olefin and oxygen (step C). The importance and kinetic fit of the sequential route A to C appears to increase with temperature and extent of olefin conversion owing to the extensive thermal decomposition of the alkenyl hydroperoxides above 100°C. 

Hydroperoxide formation is characteristic of alkenes possessing tertiary allylic hydrogen. Allylic rearrangement resulting in the formation of isomeric products is common. Secondary products (alcohols, carbonyl compounds, carboxylic acids) may arise from the decomposition of alkenyl hydroperoxide at higher temperature. 

Several alkenyl hydroperoxides have been successfully cyclized to five-, six- and seven-membered ring peroxides (equation 241).38s 388 Alkaline sodium borohydride reduction of these mercurials is frequently accompanied by epoxide or cyclic ether formation. 

Oxidations by oxygen and catalysts are used for the conversion of alkanes into alcohols, ketones, or acids [54]-, for the epoxidation of alkenes [43, for the formation of alkenyl hydroperoxides [22] for the conversion of terminal alkenes into methyl ketones [60, 65] for the coupling of terminal acetylenes [2, 59, 66] for the oxidation of aromatic compounds to quinones [3] or carboxylic acids [65] for the dehydrogenation of alcohols to aldehydes [4, 55, 56] or ketones [56, 57, 62, 70] for the conversion of alcohols [56, 69], aldehydes [5, 6, 63], and ketones [52, 67] into carboxylic acids and for the oxidation of primary amines to nitriles [64], of thiols to disulfides [9] or sulfonic acids [53], of sulfoxides to sulfones [70], and of alkyl dichloroboranes to alkyl hydroperoxides [57]. 

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