Seventeen variously substituted cyclohex-2-en-1-ones were prepared and reacted with superoxide anion radical (02'-, generated from KO2/18-crown-6) in inert nonpolar aprotic media at room temperature. The 4, 4, 6, 6-tetrasubstituted cyclohexenones (lb, IC, and la) proved to be totally inert, while those cyclohexenones possessing available acidic a'-or y- hydrogens underwent 02'--mediated base-catalyzed autoxidation (BCA) geherating ...