Chromium trioxide, oxidation alcohols

Chromium trioxide, OO3 Oxidizes alcohols in aqueous acid to yield carbonyl-containing products. Primary alcohols yield carboxylic acids, and secondary alcohols yield ketones (Sections 17.7 and 19.3). 

This oxidation reagent is obtained by addition of tetra-n-butylammonium chloride to an aqueous solution of chromium trioxide. It oxidizes primary and secondary alcohols to carbonyl compounds in generally good yield. The main advantages are the homogeneous conditions and the requirement for only a small excess of oxidant. ... 

Oxidations with chromium trioxide (chromic oxide or chromic anhydride) and with chromic acid are carried out in different solvents, usually by adding solutions of chromic oxide or chromic acid to the solutions of the alcohols. When chromium trioxide dissolved in 80% acetic acid is added to a stirred solution of cis-2-phenylcyclohexanol in acetic acid at 50 °C and the mixture is allowed to stand at room temperature for 1 day, an 80% yield of 2-phenylcyclohexanone is obtained [576], Other solvents used are dimethylformamide [542], hexamethylphosphoric triamide (HMPA) [543], acetone [578, 5 i], ether [55 ], dichloromethane [555, 617], and benzene [571] (equation 249). 

Zhao, M. Li,J. Song, Z. Desmond, R. Tschaen, D. M. Grabowski, E.J.J. Reider, P.J., A Novel Chromium Trioxide Catalyzed Oxidation of Primary Alcohols to the Carboxylic Acids. Tetrahedron Lett. 1998, 39, 5323. 

Tertiary alcohols are usually degraded unselectively by strong oxidants. Anhydrous chromium trioxide leads to oxidative ring opening of tertiary cycloalkanols (L.F. Fieser, 1948). 

Usually, organoboranes are sensitive to oxygen. Simple trialkylboranes are spontaneously flammable in contact with air. Nevertheless, under carefully controlled conditions the reaction of organoboranes with oxygen can be used for the preparation of alcohols or alkyl hydroperoxides (228,229). Aldehydes are produced by oxidation of primary alkylboranes with pyridinium chi orochrom ate (188). Chromic acid at pH < 3 transforms secondary alkyl and cycloalkylboranes into ketones pyridinium chi orochrom ate can also be used (230,231). A convenient procedure for the direct conversion of terminal alkenes into carboxyUc acids employs hydroboration with dibromoborane—dimethyl sulfide and oxidation of the intermediate alkyldibromoborane with chromium trioxide in 90% aqueous acetic acid (232,233). 

Concentration Effects. The reactivity of ethyl alcohol—water mixtures has been correlated with three distinct alcohol concentration ranges (35,36). For example, the chromium trioxide oxidation of ethyl alcohol (37), the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (38), and the sensitivities of coUoidal particles to coagulation (39) are characteristic for ethyl alcohol concentrations of 25—30%, 40—60%, and above 60% alcohol, respectively. The effect of various catalysts also differs for different alcohol concentrations (35). 

The formation of an epoxyketone (1) is generally favoured when the expected product of oxidation of an allylic alcohol is a cisoid enone. This type of reaction is promoted by acid conditions and may be prevented by using the chromium trioxide-pyridine reagent which gives only the unsaturated ketone (2) corresponding to the starting alcohol. ... 

If homolytic reaction conditions (heat and nonpolar solvents) can be avoided and if the reaction is conducted in the presence of a weak base, lead tetraacetate is an efficient oxidant for the conversion of primary and secondary alcohols to aldehydes and ketones. The yield of product is in many cases better than that obtained by oxidation with chromium trioxide. The reaction in pyridine is moderately slow the intial red pyridine complex turns to a yellow solution as the reaction progresses, the color change thus serving as an indicator. The method is surprisingly mild and free of side reactions. Thus 17a-ethinyl-17jS-hydroxy steroids are not attacked and 5a-hydroxy-3-ket-ones are not dehydrated. 

A recently discovered (2) oxidizing system promises to become very important for the oxidation of acid-sensitive compounds. The reagent is chromium trioxide-pyridine complex, which may be isolated after preparation and employed in nonaqueous solvents (usually methylene chloride). A remarkable feature of the reagent is that good yields of aldehydes are obtained by direct oxidation of primary alcohols. The preparation of the reagent and its use are given. 

A 5% solution of chromium trioxide-pyridine complex in dry methylene chloride is prepared. The alcohol (0.01 mole) is dissolved in dry methylene chloride and is added in one portion to the magnetically stirred oxidizing solution (310 ml, a 6 1 mole ratio) at room temperature. The oxidation is complete in 5-15 minutes as indicated by the precipitation of the brownish black chromium reduction products. The mixture is filtered and the solvent is removed (rotary evaporator) leaving the crude product, which may be purified by distillation or recrystallization. Examples are given in Table 1.1. 

Most other oxidizing agents, such as chromium trioxide (0rO3) in aqueous acid, oxidize primary alcohols directly to carboxylic acids. An aldehyde is involved as an intermediate in this reaction but can t usually be isolated because it is further oxidized too rapidly. 

Nitrobenzaldehyde has been prepared from />-nitrotoluene by treatment with isoamyl nitrite in the presence of sodium methylate,1 by oxidation with chromyl chloride,2 cerium dioxide,3 or chromium trioxide in the presence of acetic anhydride.4 It can also be prepared by the oxidation of -nitrobenzyl chloride,5 7>-nitrobenzyl alcohol,6 or the esters of -nitrocinnamic acid.7... 

CHROMIUM TRIOXIDE-PYRIDINE COMPLEX, preparation in situ, 55, 84 Chrysene, 58,15, 16 fzans-Cinnamaldehyde, 57, 85 Cinnamaldehyde dimethylacetal, 57, 84 Cinnamyl alcohol, 56,105 58, 9 2-Cinnamylthio-2-thiazoline, 56, 82 Citric acid, 58,43 Citronellal, 58, 107, 112 Cleavage of methyl ethers with iodotri-methylsilane, 59, 35 Cobalt(II) acetylacetonate, 57, 13 Conjugate addition of aryl aldehydes, 59, 53 Copper (I) bromide, 58, 52, 54, 56 59,123 COPPER CATALYZED ARYLATION OF /3-DlCARBONYL COMPOUNDS, 58, 52 Copper (I) chloride, 57, 34 Copper (II) chloride, 56, 10 Copper(I) iodide, 55, 105, 123, 124 Copper(I) oxide, 59, 206 Copper(ll) oxide, 56, 10 Copper salts of carboxylic acids, 59, 127 Copper(l) thiophenoxide, 55, 123 59, 210 Copper(l) trifluoromethanesulfonate, 59, 202... 

In an alternative oxidation, addition of chromium trioxide to hexamethyldisilox-ane (HMDSO) 7 gives bis(trimethylsilyl)chromate 2065, which is stabilized by addition of Si02 and which oxidizes primary or secondary alcohols such as 2066 or 2968, in CH2CI2, to their corresponding carbonyl compounds 2067 or 2069, in high yields [207] (Scheme 12.62). 

This complex, formerly called pyridine perchromate and now finding application as a powerful and selective oxidant, is violently explosive when dry [1], Use while moist on the day of preparation and destroy any surplus with dilute alkali [2], Preparation and use of the reagent have been detailed further [3], The analogous complexes with aniline, piperidine and quinoline may be similarly hazardous [4], The damage caused by a 1 g sample of the pyridine complex exploding during desiccation on a warm day was extensive. Desiccation of the aniline complex had to be at ice temperature to avoid violent explosion [4]. Pyridinium chlorochromate is commercially available as a safer alternative oxidant of alcohols to aldehydes [5], See Chromium trioxide Pyridine Dipyridinium dichromate See Other AMMINECHROMIUM PEROXOCOMPLEXES... 

When methanol was used to rinse a pestle and mortar which had been used to grind coarse chromium trioxide, immediate ignition occurred due to vigorous oxidation of the solvent. The same occurred with ethanol, 2-propanol, butanol and cyclo-hexanol. Water is a suitable cleaning agent for the trioxide [1]. For oxidation of sec-alcohols in DMF, the oxide must be finely divided, as lumps cause violent local reaction on addition to the solution [2]. Use of methanol to reduce the Cr(VI) oxide to a Cr(III) derivative led to an explosion and fire [3], The ignitability of the butanols decreases from n -through sec- to iert-butanol [4],... 

During oxidation of a. sec -alcohol to ketone in cold DMF solution, addition of solid trioxide caused ignition. Addition of lumps of trioxide was later found to cause local ignition on addition to ice-cooled DMF under nitrogen [1], Addition of 2 g of chromium trioxide to 18 ml of solvent to form a 10 wt% solution caused immediate ignition and ejection of the flask contents [2],... 

Scheme 6.29 Oxidation of alcohols by chromium trioxide supported on premoistened alumina.

ALDEHYDES FROM PRIMARY ALCOHOLS BY OXIDATION WITH CHROMIUM TRIOXIDE 1-HEPTANAL, 52, 5 ALDEHYDES FROM sym-TRITHIANE n-PENTADECANAL, 51, 39 Aldehydes, acetylenic, 54, 45 Aldehydes, aromatic, 54, 45 Aldehydes, benzyl, 54, 45 Aldehydes, olefinic, 54, 45... 

Oxidation, of primary alcohols to aldehydes, 52, 5 of terminal olefins with chromyl chloride, 51, 6 of 2,4,4-trimethyl-1-pentene with chromyl chloride, 51, 4 with chromium trioxide-pyridine complex, 52, 5... 

A better reagent for oxidation of primary alcohols to aldehydes in good yield is pyridinium chlorochromate (PCC), a complex of chromium trioxide with pyridine and HCl. 

The oxidative conversions described above probably proceed via formation of an N-l-oxymethyl intermediate which undergoes further oxidation to produce 2. If 1 is treated as before with chromium trioxide in the presence of excess methanol, A -methoxymethylvinblastine (56) is isolated in 64% yield (74). Additional N-l-alkyloxymethyl or cycloalkyloxy-methyl compounds have been prepared by substituting other alcohols for methanol in this reaction. 

ALDEHYDES FROM PRIMARY ALCOHOLS BY OXIDATION WITH CHROMIUM TRIOXIDE 1-HEPTANAL... 

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