Process for the production of carboxylic acids

摘要

Aliphatic carboxylic acids of formulae (Ib) R1-COOH(Ia) and R2-COOH wherein R1 is tertiary C4-20-alkyl and R2 is selected from hydrogen and C1-6-alkyl, or R1 and R2 together are -(CH2)n- with n=3 to 10, are produced by oxidizing an aliphatic or alicyclic ketone of formula (II), wherein R1 and R2 are as defined above, with molecular oxygen in the presence of a soluble manganese(II) compound. The process has a high selectivity and is carried out under very mild conditions. It is especially useful for the production of dicarboxylic acids such as adipic acid from cyclic ketones.