Extending the haloform reaction to non-methyl ketones: Oxidative cleavage of cycloalkanones to dicarboxylic acids using sodium hypochlorite under phase transfer catalysis conditions
Cyclohexanone is readily oxidized to adipic, alpha,alpha - dichloroadipic, glutaric and succinic acids by sodium hypochlorite under phase transfer conditions. The selectivity is highly dependent on the pH of the reacting system. A consecutive chlorination-hydrolysis mechanism is proposed in which only cyclohexanone is a reactive substrate leading in parallel to the melange of oxidized products. Cyclooctanone and cyclopentanone are similarly oxidized. Copyright (C) 1996 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd