Transition metal peroxides ketones

The first report of transition-metal peroxides active in the BV oxidation of cyclic ketones was due to Mares and coworkers in 1978 . These authors found that Mo-peroxo complexes, containing picolinato 101 and especially dipicolinato ligands 105, are able to mediate the transformation of some cyclopentanones and cyclohexanones to the corresponding lactones by concentrated H2O2 (equation 70) with yields in the range... 

Eithei oxidation state of a transition metal (Fe, Mn, V, Cu, Co, etc) can activate decomposition of the hydiopeioxide. Thus a small amount of tiansition-metal ion can decompose a laige amount of hydiopeioxide. Trace transition-metal contamination of hydroperoxides is known to cause violent decompositions. Because of this fact, transition-metal promoters should never be premixed with the hydroperoxide. Trace contamination of hydroperoxides (and ketone peroxides) with transition metals or their salts must be avoided. 

Ketone Peroxides. These materials are mixtures of compounds with hydroperoxy groups and are composed primarily of the two stmctures shown in Table 2. Ketone peroxides are marketed as solutions in inert solvents such as dimethyl phthalate. They are primarily employed in room-temperature-initiated curing of unsaturated polyester resin compositions (usually containing styrene monomer) using transition-metal promoters such as cobalt naphthenate. Ketone peroxides contain the hydroperoxy (—OOH) group and thus are susceptible to the same ha2ards as hydroperoxides. 

The Julia - Colonna asymmetric epoxidation of electron-deficient unsaturated ketones to the corresponding epoxides with high yields and high ee is well known. This technique produces chiral chemical entities from the clean oxidant, hydrogen peroxide, without the use of a toxic or water sensitive transition metal additive. 

Peroxide intermediates are not fhe only species that enable oxidation of secondary alcohols. Oppenauer oxidation of secondary alcohols is of practical value, because only catalytic amounts of aluminum species are required and without aid from transition metals, which are usually more toxic. A new type of Oppenauer oxidation was recently discovered by Ooi and Maruoka [167]. This mefhod includes the use of bidentate aluminum catalyst which is also effective for MPV reduction (Scheme 6.144). The Oppenauer oxidation is the reverse of MPV reduction when pivalaldehyde is used as hydride-capturing agent, however, fhe reaction is virtually irreversible, giving the ketone in high yield. 

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