Nonvicinal glycols can be readily autoxidized to the keto alcohols; they give high peroxide yields comparable to those obtainable from simpler secondary alcohols when the carbinol groups are separated by more than four carbon atoms. In the case of the 2, 5-hexane-and 2, 6-heptanediols, the formation of keto alcohols is accompanied by a significant production of 2-acetoxybutanes and-pentanes. The origins of these esters have been traced to a ...
