Abstract A convenient method for oxidative transformation of aromatic, hetero-aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes into carboxylic acids is presented. It is based on the oxidation of aldehydes in THF using 30% hydrogen peroxide in the presence of 5 molar % of selenium(IV) oxide. The scope and limitation of the method are discussed.
using tert-butyl hydroperoxide in the presence of ebselen (2-phenylbenzisoselenazol-3(2H)-one) as a catalyst. The reaction is highly chemoselective and formation of phenols, being the products of competitive Baeyer–Villiger rearrangement, is marginal. It has been assumed that this rearrangement is inhibited by steric hindrance of the electron-deficient oxygen atom in the transient tetrahedral intermediate