Dimanganese Heptoxide for the Selective Oxidation of Organic Substrates

Abstract

Stable solutions of Mn 2 O 7 , which is explosive in the pure form, have been prepared. These solutions—in CCl 4 or Freon 113—can be used to oxidize primary alcohols to carboxylic acids [reaction (a)], secondary alcohols to ketones, alkenes to carboxylic acids (CC cleavage), and ethers to esters (or lactones). The reactions proceed in aprotic medium at low temperatures to afford good yields of products; the workup is simple. equation image