Patent ID: 6667410
Filing Date: 2003-12-23
Classification: C07B,C07C,C07F,C07J

Abstract:
A method for converting &agr;,&bgr;-unsaturated ketones to &agr;-hydroxyketones comprising:i) obtaining said &agr;,&bgr;-unsaturated ketone; ii) obtaining a catalyst of the structure: â€ƒwhere each R is independently hydrogen, a C1-C20 linear, branched or cyclic alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, glycol, polyglycol, amino, nitro, halo, cyano, aryl, heteroaryl, thio, thioalkyl, amide, ester, acyl, carboxy, â€”NH2, â€”O(CH2)nCH3 and 0&lE;n&lE;20 or â€”OCH3; iii) obtaining a reducing agent; iv) combining said ketone, said catalyst and said reducing agent in the presence of dioxygen and a solvent or solvent mixture to form an &agr;-hydroperoxyketone; and v) reducing said &agr;-hydroperoxyketone to an &agr;-hydroxyketone.