Mechanism, oxidation permanganate

A subsequent detailed analysis of the permanganate oxidation of the tertiary hydrogen atom of 4-phenylvaleric acid in 2.5 M potassium hydroxide solution supports the caged radical mechanism. The reaction order is two overall, A h/ d is ca. 11.5, ring substitution has little elfect on the rate (p 0) and the oxidation proceeds with a net 30-40 % retention of optical configuration. 

FIGURE 11.3 Mechanism for oxidative cleavage of carbon-carbon double bonds by potassium permanganate by which apocarotenals are produced (as described in Fatiadi [1987]). 

The mechanisms of permanganate oxidations have been the subject of a fairly intensive study which has now lasted for almost a century. While many of these studies were carried out in aqueous solutions, much of what was learned is also germane to an understanding of the reactions which occur in phase transfer assisted reactions. Although most of these studies are interrelated they can conveniently be discussed under the following headings products, substituent effects, isotope effects, and solvent effects, with the latter being of particular importance to the phase transfer assisted reactions. 

Aldehydes are oxidized easily by moist silver oxide or by potassium permanganate solution to the corresponding acids. The mechanism of the permanganate oxidation has some resemblance to the chromic acid oxidation of alcohols (Section 15-6B) ... 

L-erythronic acids, respectively, and D-xylose to D-threonic acid.44 Isbell et al. elucidated the mechanism of this process45 (see the following Chapter). Degradation to a lower aldonic acid can be achieved by oxidation of an unsaturated sugar derivative. The method of Reichstein et al.46 for the preparation of L-threono-1,4-lactone by permanganate oxidation of 5,6-0-isopropylidene-L-ascorbic acid was improved by Perel and Dayton to afford the crystalline lactone in 65% yield.47... 

The oxidation of alkenes by permanganate is one of the frequently used examples in freshman chemistry. It is also well known as the Baeyer test for unsaturation. There are many reagents that add two hydroxyl groups to a double bond,44 but osmium tetroxide and permanganate are the most prominent ones. The mechanism of the permanganate oxidation is believed to be similar to the oxidation of alkenes by 0s0445 46... 

Recent evidence on the mechanism of permanganate oxidation of alkenes has been summarized the initial step probably involves a [3 2] cycloaddition between permanganate ion and the alkene to give a cyclic manganese(V) ester (2 see Section 3.3.1). 

Houk, K. N., Strassner, T. Establishing the (3 + 2) mechanism forthe permanganate oxidation of alkenes by theory and kinetic isotope effects. J. Org. Chem. 1999, 64, 800-802. 

The oxidation of thiols follows a completely different course as compared with the oxidation of alcohols, because the capacity of the sulfur atom to form hypervalent compounds allows it to become the site of oxidation. Thiols are readily oxidised to disulfides by mild oxidants such as atmospheric oxygen, halogens or iron(III) salts (Scheme 6). This type of reaction is unique to thiols and is not undergone by alcohols, it is a consequence of the lower bond strength of the S-H as compared with the O-H bond, so that thiols are oxidised at the weaker S-H bonds, whereas alcohols are preferentially oxidised at the weaker C-H bonds (Scheme 7). The mechanism of oxidation of thiols may be either radical or polar or both (Scheme 6). The polar mechanism probably involves transient sulfenic acid intermediates like (7) and (8). In contrast, thiols react with more powerful oxidants, like potassium permanganate, concentrated nitric acid or hydrogen peroxide, to yield the corresponding sulfonic acids (10). This oxidation probably proceeds via the relatively unstable sulfenic (7) and sulfinic acids (9), which are too susceptible to further oxidation to be isolated (Scheme 8). 

In this section, brief fundamental reaction mechanisms for each AOP are addressed. Included as AOPs are individual and combinational processes in the use of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, catalyzed titanium dioxide oxidation, Fenton s reagent oxidation, ozonation, peroxone oxidation, and permanganate oxidation. 

Very little information is available about the species which react in the further decomposition of ascorbic add. Apparently, both dehydroascorbic acid and 2,3-diketogulonic acid can be oxidized directly, since both oxalylthreonic acid and the same two free acids have been identified. The former would result from oxidative fission of the chain while the lactone ring was intact. Even less is known of the oxidation mechanism. The oxidation occurs with iodine and with acid permanganate (H12) and also with oxygen or peroxide (R23). Recent studies on the similar decomposition of the enols of aryl pyruvates to aryl aldehydes plus oxalic acid identified these reactions as examples of the direct attack... 

Fig. 2. Proposed mechanism for the neutral permanganate oxidation of alkaloids (a) with an a-C-6 methoxyl and (b) with a -C-6. methoxyl. ...

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