Hydroquinones Wacker process

Water and a little 60% aq. HCIO4 (to prevent precipitation of Pd(0)) added via syringe to catalytic amounts of Pd(OAc)2, hydroquinone, and iron(II) phthalocyanine (as 62 carrier) in DMF, the mixture purged with O2, 1-decene added in 6 portions at 15 min intervals, and stirred at room temp, for 3 h under 1 atm O2 - 2-decanone. Y 73%. In contrast with the classical Wacker process (Synth. Meth. 19, 200), this catalytic route is much faster and free from chlorinated by-products the Fe-catalyst is readily removed by filtration. F.e.s. J.-E. Backvall, R.B. Hopkins, Tetrahedron Letters 29, 2885-8 (1988). 

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