STUDIES ON THE MECHANISM OF CATALYTIC-OXIDATION OF CYCLOPENTENE TO PREPARE GLUTARALDEHYDE WITH AQUEOUS HYDROGEN-PEROXIDE

The mechanism of catalytic oxidation of cyclopentene with aqueous hydrogen peroxide to prepare glutaraldehyde in a tungstic acid-tert-butanol system is that, first, cyclopentene was oxidized to cyclopentene oxide almost quantitively; then the latter was turned into an intermediate-a kind of organic peroxide, which was separated and identified as beta-hydroxycyclopentylperoxide. At room temperature, it can be rearranged into glutaraldehyde near completely catalyzed by W(VI) in a system containing excessive hydrogen peroxide.