Oxidation of organic compounds using ceric methanesulfonate in an aqueous organic solution
AssigneeW. R. Grace & Co.
InventorsRobert P. Kreh, Robert M. Spotnitz
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Abstract
A process for oxidizing aromatic and alkyl substituted aromatic compounds to carbonyl containing compounds by contacting an aromatic or alkyl aromatic compound with ceric methanesulfonate in an aqueous, weakly acidic solution containing an organic cosolvent which has at least 2 percent solubility in water under reaction conditions and is substantially inert with respect to the acidic, oxidizing conditions.
Claims33
A process for forming carbonyl group containing compounds from their respective organic substrates selected from aromatic and alkyl substituted aromatic compounds comprising contacting the organic substrate with ceric methanesulfonate in an aqueous system composed of water and organic cosolvents containing from 0 to about 1.3 molar concentration of free methanesulfonic acid and having at least 0.2 molar cerium concentration;
- said organic cosolvent being substantially inert with respect to the ceric methanesulfonate and free methanesulfonic acid and soluble in water in at least 2 weight percent.
An indirect electrochemical oxidation process to oxidize aromatic and alkyl substituted aromatic compounds comprising
- (a) contacting the organic substrate with ceric methanesulfonate in an aqueous system composed of water and organic cosolvents containing from 0 to about 1.3 molar concentration of free methanesulfonic acid and having at least 0.2 molar cerium concentration;
- said organic cosolvent being substantially inert with respect to the ceric methanesulfonate and free methanesulfonic acid and soluble in water in at least 2 weight percent;
- (b) separating and recovering the carbonyl containing product from the system to yield a spent system rich in cerous salts;
- (c) transferring the spent system to an electrochemical cell to cause regeneration of a system rich in the ceric salt;
- and
- (d) repeating steps (a), (b) and (c).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.