Chromium-catalyzed oxoneŽ oxidation of alcohols

ORGN 581

Mo Hunsen, hunsenm@kenyon.edu, Department of Chemistry, Kenyon College, Tomsich Hall, Gambier, OH 43022
Oxidation is one the most fundamental reactions in organic chemistry. Chromium, one of the favorite oxidizing agent among organic chemists, is not suitable for any large scale or industrial oxidation due to its carcenogenicity. New environmentally friendly oxidation methods that retain the power of chromium oxidations are in great need. Recently we have shown that chromium-catalyzed oxidations, where periodic acid is used as the terminal oxidant, can be successfully carried out to prepare aldehydes and ketones from alcohols, and carboxylic acids from alcohols and aldehydes. In this presentation, we report chromium catalyzed oxoneŽ oxidation of alcohols to ketones and carboxylic acids. This method involves the use of the environmentally friendly oxoneŽ as the terminal oxidant.