Carboxylic acids synthesis, alkene cleavage

Methods of synthesis for carboxylic acids include (1) oxidation of alkyl-benzenes, (2) oxidative cleavage of alkenes, (3) oxidation of primary alcohols or aldehydes, (4) hydrolysis of nitriles, and (5) reaction of Grignard reagents with CO2 (carboxylation). General reactions of carboxylic acids include (1) loss of the acidic proton, (2) nucleophilic acyl substitution at the carbonyl group, (3) substitution on the a carbon, and (4) reduction. 

This species, completely characterized also by X-ray diffraction studies as its tetrahexylammonium salt (Figure 1)5 was responsible for the epoxidation of a series of structurally diversified olefins with typical selectivities of ca. 95% and chemical yields in the range 85-95%. These catalysts have found industrial applications in the epoxidation of alkenes and in the oxidative cleavage of alkenes to carboxylic acids. The favourable characteristics of these catalysts are thermal stability, ease of synthesis, stability to oxidation, solubility- in both water and organic solvents, effectiveness as phase transfer catalysts. 

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