Wacker process olefin oxidations related

Some olefin oxidations related to the Wacker process are given in Eqs. (103) and (104) (Lloyd and Luberoff, 1969). 

Many types of palladium-catalyzed oxidative fimctionalizations of olefins related to the Wacker process have been developed, and these reactions are presented later in this chapter. To imderstand the relationship between these reactions and the basic Wacker oxidation of ethylene to form acetaldehye, the mechanism of the Wacker process is discussed before the related oxidation processes. 

Among the several types of homogeneously catalyzed reactions, oxidation is perhaps the most relevant and applicable to chemical industry. The well-known Wacker oxidation of ethylene to ethylene oxide is the classic example, although this is not a true catalytic process since the palladium (II) ion becomes reduced to metallic palladium unless an oxygen carrier is present. Related to this is the commercial reaction of ethylene and acetic acid to form vinyl acetate, although the mechanism of this reaction does not seem to have yet been discussed publicly. Attempts to achieve selective oxidation of olefins or hydrocarbons heterogeneously do not seem very successful. 

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