Autoxidative cleavage of ketones in the presence of pulverized alkali metal hydroxide

摘要

Processes for the autoxidative cleavage of selected ketones such as C4-C10 cycloalkanones having at least one hydrogen or at least one R group on a carbon alpha to the carbonyl carbon or aryl alkyl ketones having the formula III <IMAGE> III comprising contacting a liquid phase comprising said ketone with elemental oxygen gas, preferably air, in the presence of a pulverized alkali metal hydroxide at a temperature of no more than 50 DEG C. for a time sufficient to produce an oxidized product are disclosed. Preferred cycloalkanones, 2-alkyl- and 2-arylcyclohexanone are autoxidized in pulverized sodium hydroxide/dimethoxyethane to produce 6-alkyl- or 6-aryl-6-oxohexanoic acids, respectively.