Catalytic osmium-assisted oxidative cleavage of olefins

A process for oxidizing a carbon—carbon double bond in an organic compound to produce an organic compound selected from the group consisting of an aldehyde, ketone, carboxylic acid, and ester, comprising:

• (a) providing the organic compound with the carbon—carbon double bond in an organic solvent;
• (b) reacting the organic compound with the carbon—carbon double bond in the organic solvent with a mixture of a metal catalyst comprising osmium and an oxidizing compound selected from the group consisting of peroxymonosulfuric acid and salts thereof in a reaction wherein the carbon—carbon double bond is oxidized to produce the organic compound selected from the group consisting of an aldehyde, ketone, carboxylic acid, and ester;
• and
• (c) recovering the organic compound selected from the group consisting of the aldehyde, ketone, carboxylic acid, and ester from the reaction.

A process for producing an ester from an aldehyde comprising:

• (a) providing the aldehyde in an alcohol as a solvent and as a reactant;
• (b) reacting the aldehyde and the alcohol in the alcohol as the solvent with an oxidizing compound selected from the group consisting of peroxymonosulfuric acid and salts thereof alone or with an additional oxidant in a reaction wherein the aldehyde is oxidized and which reacts with the alcohol solvent to form the ester;
• and
• (c) recovering the ester from the reaction.

A process for producing a carboxylic acid from an aldehyde comprising:

• (a) providing the aldehyde in dimethyl formamide;
• (b) reacting the aldehyde with an oxidizing compound selected from the group consisting of peroxymonosulfuric acid and salts thereof alone or with an additional oxidant in a reaction wherein the aldehyde is oxidized to the acid;
• and
• (c) recovering the acid from the reaction.