On the mechanism of peracid oxidation of α-diketones to acid anhydrides: an 17O and 18O isotope study
Abstract
Peracid oxidation of 17O or 18O isotopically labelled benzil gave rise to benzoic acid anhydride in which both the bridging oxygen and the carbonyl oxygen were enriched as judged by 17O and 13C n.m.r. spectroscopy and mass spectrometry; these observations are inconsistent with a simple Baeyer–Villiger-type oxidation mechanism.