Oxidation of hydrophobic -CH2OH compounds at oxidized nickel anodes

摘要

Mono- or dimethylol compounds having water solubilities of 3 grams or less per 100 grams of water are electrochemically oxidized to the corresponding mono- or dicarboxylic acids at activated nickel oxide anodes. The methylol compounds are adducts of 1,2-alkylene oxides with phenols, pyridinols, bisphenols, phenoxy- or pyridinyloxypyridinols or are polycycloaliphatics ring-substituted with one or two CH2OH groups.