Patent ID: 7504524

Claim:
Process for the preparation of 2,5-dioxane-1,4-diones of formula (I) in which R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are, independently, a hydrogen atom; halo; (C 2 -C 6 ) alkenyl; (C 3 -C 7 ) cycloalkyl; cyclohexenyl; or a radical of formula —(CH 2 ) m —V—W; wherein V is a covalent bond, an oxygen atom or a —C(O)—O— radical; W is a hydrogen atom, a (C 1 -C 18 ) alkyl radical optionally substituted by one or more identical or different halo radicals; an aryl or aralkyl radical, the aryl and aralkyl radicals being optionally substituted by one or more identical or different substituents including: —(CH 2 ) n —Y-Z, halo, nitro or cyano; Y is —O—, —S— or a covalent bond; Z is a hydrogen atom or a (C 1 -C 6 ) alkyl radical optionally substituted by one or more identical or different halo radicals; or aralkyl; m and n are independently an integer from 0 to 4; comprising oxidizing the ketone function of a cyclic compound of formula (II) in which R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are defined above, wherein the oxidizing is carried out in the presence of a peracid as an oxidizing agent and in the presence of a sulfonic acid as a catalyst.