OXIDATIONS OF OLEFINS WITH ALCOHOLIC PALLADIUM(II) SALTS

Simple olefins, including most monosubstituted and 1,2-disubstituted ethylenes, are readily oxidized by alcoholic solutions of Pd(II) salts to yield the corresponding acetals or ketals. When small amounts of water are pres- R’CH=CHR” + 2ROH + PdX2→ R’CH2CR”(OR)2 + 2HX + Pd(0) ent, the free carbonyl compounds are obtained. The oxidations proceed readily with little or no water present, and are retarded by more than small amounts of water. In the presence of molecular oxygen and a reoxidant, these reactions become selective homogeneous catalytic oxidations. © 1969, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.