Oxidation, alcohols organic

In general, peroxomonosulfates have fewer uses in organic chemistry than peroxodisulfates. However, the triple salt is used for oxidizing ketones (qv) to dioxiranes (7) (71,72), which in turn are useful oxidants in organic chemistry. Acetone in water is oxidized by triple salt to dimethyldioxirane, which in turn oxidizes alkenes to epoxides, polycycHc aromatic hydrocarbons to oxides and diones, amines to nitro compounds, sulfides to sulfoxides, phosphines to phosphine oxides, and alkanes to alcohols or carbonyl compounds. 

The oxidation of organic compounds by manganese dioxide has recently been reviewed. It is of limited application for the introduction of double bonds, but the advantages of mildness and simple workup make it attractive for some laboratory-scale transformations. Manganese dioxide is similar to chloranil in that it will oxidize A -3-ketones to A -dienones in refluxing benzene. Unfortunately, this reaction does not normally go to completion, and the separation of product from starting material is difficult. However, Sondheimer found that A -3-alcohols are converted into A -3-ketones, and in this instance separation is easier, but conversions are only 30%. (cf. Harrison s report that manganese dioxide in DMF or pyridine at room temperature very slowly converts A -3-alcohols to A -3-ketones.)... 

The alkoxides and aryloxides, particularly of yttrium have excited recent interest. This is because of their potential use in the production of electronic and ceramic materials,in particular high temperature superconductors, by the deposition of pure oxides (metallo-organic chemical vapour deposition, MOCVD). They are moisture sensitive but mostly polymeric and involatile and so attempts have been made to inhibit polymerization and produce the required volatility by using bulky alkoxide ligands. M(OR)3, R = 2,6-di-terr-butyl-4-methylphenoxide, are indeed 3-coordinate (pyramidal) monomers but still not sufficiently volatile. More success has been achieved with fluorinated alkoxides, prepared by reacting the parent alcohols with the metal tris-(bis-trimethylsilylamides) ... 

Ethylene oxide is a highly active intermediate. It reacts with all compounds that have a labile hydrogen such as water, alcohols, organic acids, and amines. The epoxide ring opens, and a new compound with a hydroxyethyl group is produced. The addition of a hydroxyethyl group increases the water solubility of the resulting compound. Eurther reaction of ethylene oxide produces polyethylene oxide derivatives with increased water solubility. 

The anion in KRu04 has a slightly flattened tetrahedral structure (Ru-O 1.73 A). Organic-soluble salts like Pr4NRu04 are selective mild oxidants that will oxidize alcohols to carbonyl compounds but will not affect double bonds [54a]. ESR indicates that Ru04 (g = 1.93 gy = 1.98 gz = 2.06) has a compressed tetrahedral geometry with the electron in dz2 [54b]. 

The reactivity of these oxidants towards organic substrates depends in a rough manner upon their redox potentials. Ag(II) and Co(III) attack unactivated and only slightly activated C-H bonds in cyclohexane, toluene and benzene and Ce(IV) perchlorate attacks saturated alcohols much faster than do Ce(lV) sulphate, V(V) or Mn(III). The last three are sluggish in action towards all but the active C-H and C-C bonds in polyfunctional compounds such as glycols and hydroxy-acids. They are, however, more reactive towards ketones than the two-equivalent reagents Cr(VI) and Mn(VIII) and in some cases oxidise them at a rate exceeding that of enolisation. 

Nickel oxide anodes are another example for a relatively simple oxide electrocatalyst used rather widely in the oxidation of organic substances (alcohols, amines, etc.) in alkaline solutions at relatively low anodic potentials (about +0.6 V RHE). These processes, which occur at an oxidized nickel surface, are rather highly selective. As an example, we mention the industrial oxidation of diacetone-L-sorbose to the corresponding acid in vitamin C synthesis. This reaction occurs at nickel oxide electrodes with chemical yields close to 100%. 

Primary nitro compounds are good precursors for preparing nitriles and nitrile oxides (Eq. 6.31). The conversion of nitro compounds into nitrile oxides affords an important tool for the synthesis of complex natural products. Nitrile oxides are reactive 1,3-dipoles that form isoxazolines or isoxazoles by the reaction with alkenes or alky nes, respectively. The products are also important precursors for various substrates such as P-amino alcohols, P-hydroxy ketones, P-hydroxy nitriles, and P-hydroxy acids (Scheme 6.3). Many good reviews concerning nitrile oxides in organic synthesis exist some of them are listed here.50-56 Applications of organic synthesis using nitrile oxides are discussed in Section 8.2.2. 

Phosphorus pentafluoride Phosphorus pentasulfide Phosphorus pentoxide Phosphorus, red Phosphorus tribromide Phosphorus bichloride Water or steam Air, alcohols, water Formic acid, HF, inorganic bases, metals, oxidants, water Organic materials Potassium, ruthenium tetroxide, sodium, water Acetic acid, aluminum, chromyl dichloride, dimethylsulfoxide, hydroxylamine, lead dioxide, nitric acid, nitrous acid, organic matter, potassium, sodium water... 

The asymmetric oxidation of organic compounds, especially the epoxidation, dihydroxylation, aminohydroxylation, aziridination, and related reactions have been extensively studied and found widespread applications in the asymmetric synthesis of many important compounds. Like many other asymmetric reactions discussed in other chapters of this book, oxidation systems have been developed and extended steadily over the years in order to attain high stereoselectivity. This chapter on oxidation is organized into several key topics. The first section covers the formation of epoxides from allylic alcohols or their derivatives and the corresponding ring-opening reactions of the thus formed 2,3-epoxy alcohols. The second part deals with dihydroxylation reactions, which can provide diols from olefins. The third section delineates the recently discovered aminohydroxylation of olefins. The fourth topic involves the oxidation of unfunc-tionalized olefins. The chapter ends with a discussion of the oxidation of eno-lates and asymmetric aziridination reactions. 

Silver(I)-ion- assisted Me2SO oxidations of organic halides have been observed for primary and secondary bromides and iodides (174). The reactions occur under ambient conditions yielding the corresponding carbonyl, plus traces of alcohol. The fate of the silver ion is unreported. 

The electro-oxidation of organics and more specifically of alcohols and polyols is also possible on silver electrodes in the following activity sequence methanol < ethylene glycol < glycerol [64]. With a bulk silver electrode and with a silver-modified glassy carbon electrode, oxidations proceed only in the area of silver oxide formation. 

As mentioned in 1.2.1 above, there are several reviews on the properties of RuO as an oxidant in organic chemistry, both as a stoicheiometric but also as a catalytic reagent [12, 34-36, 39, 60, 64, 201-203]. It is one of the most important and versatile of Ru oxidants. In the first few years after its properties in the field were realised it was often used for oxidation of alcohol groups in carbohydrates, but its versatility as an oxidant quickly became apparent and its use was extended to a variety of other reactions, notably to alkene cleavage and, more recently, to the c/x-dihydroxylation and ketohydroxylation of alkenes. 

Haines AH (1988) Methods for the oxidation of organic compounds - alcohols, alcohol derivatives, alkyl halides, nrtroalkanes, alkyl azides, carbonyl compounds, hydroxyarenes and aminoarenes. Academic Press, London, pp 54-64... 

Abstract The purpose of this chapter is to present a survey of the organometallic chemistry and catalysis of rhodium and iridium related to the oxidation of organic substrates that has been developed over the last 5 years, placing special emphasis on reactions or processes involving environmentally friendly oxidants. Iridium-based catalysts appear to be promising candidates for the oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes/ketones as products or as intermediates for heterocyclic compounds or domino reactions. Rhodium complexes seem to be more appropriate for the oxygenation of alkenes. In addition to catalytic allylic and benzylic oxidation of alkenes, recent advances in vinylic oxygenations have been focused on stoichiometric reactions. This review offers an overview of these reactions... 

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