Basic solids in the oxidation of organic compounds

Solids with basic properties have been used in a variety of oxidation reactions and play three main roles. In some cases basic alumina has been used as a support for the oxidant and acts to control the acidity of the oxidant. More important is their role as a base for the activation of either the substrate or the oxidant, giving rise to different types of attack, i.e. electrophilic attack on carbanions or nucleophilic attack with peroxoanions. The third role is that of a support for the catalytic species and this mainly involves hydrocalcites. The catalytic centres can be included as part of the structure of the solid or, alternatively, be incorporated in between the sheets by anion exchange. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.