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4.6: Oxidation of Aldehydes and Ketones- The Baeyer-Villager Oxidation

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    Baeyer-Villager Rearrangement

    The Baeyer-Villager rearrangement is the reaction of a peracid with an aldehyde or ketone to yield a carboxylic acid or ester, respectively. There are two possible products for ketones with selectivity generally favoring migration of the larger group. The most common peracid used synthetically is meta-chloroperoxybenzoic acid (MCPBA) which also reacts with alkenes to form epoxides (Chapter 4.3). Beware of this dual reactivity when planning syntheses. The Baeyer-Villager rearrangement mechanism is shown below. The peracid adds to the aldehyde or ketone to produce a tetrahedral intermediate. Reforming the carbonyl promotes the rearrangement with H migrating exclusively in the aldehyde substrate to yield the carboxylic acid product. A similar intermediate is formed in the ketone reaction. In this case, the larger alkyl group migrates (related to which group can better stabilize a partial carbocation on the carbonyl carbon in the transition state) to yield the ester product.

    Baeyer Villager Examples.svg

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{10}\)

    Propose a product for the following Baeyer-Villager rearrangement.

    Baeyer Villager Problem.svg

    Answer

    The left side of the ketone is larger than the methyl group, so this alkyl group migrates onto the new O in the mechanism to yield the product ester. Note that no bonds were formed or broken to the chiral carbon on the cyclohexane ring so this stereochemistry does not change.

    Baeyer Villager Answer.svg

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{11}\)

    Propose a Baeyer-Villager rearrangement that would yield the target lactone.

    Baeyer Villager Lactone.svg

    Answer

    Thinking about the ketone that led to the formation of the six-membered ring lactone, we should realize that we just need to remove the O in the ring from the product to yield the all-carbon starting material. In this case, it's cyclopentanone. This reaction highlights the ability of the Baeyer-Villager rearrangement to promote a ring expansion reaction.

    Baeyer Villager Lactone Answer.svg


    4.6: Oxidation of Aldehydes and Ketones- The Baeyer-Villager Oxidation is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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