Process for producing alphaoxocarbonyl compound

A process for producing an α-oxocarbonyl compound represented by the following general formula (I)

• wherein R1 represents an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, an aryl group or an aralkyl group, and these groups may have substituent(s);
• R2 represents an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, an aryl group, an aralkyl group, an alkoxyl group, an aryloxy group, an aralkyloxy group or a group represented by the general formula —NR3R4 (wherein R3 and R4 each independently represent hydrogen atoms or alkyl groups or are combined to form a ring), and these groups may have substituent(s),
• which comprises a step of oxidizing an α-hydroxycarbonyl compound represented by the following general formula (II)
• wherein R1 and R2 are as defined above,
• with oxygen or air in the presence of a carboxylic acid and at least one vanadium compound selected from divanadium pentaoxide, divanadium trioxide, divanadium tetraoxide, ammonium metavanadate, sodium metavanadate, potassium metavanadate, triethoxyoxovanadium, tripropoxyoxovanadium, triisopropoxyoxovanadium, vanadium oxobis(acetylacetonate) and vanadium tris(acetylacetonate) to obtain a reaction mixture containing the α-oxocarbonyl compound;
• and a step of recovering at least part of the carboxylic acid in the reaction mixture and using it again in the reaction.