The Journal of Organic Chemistry

Electrolytic oxidation of ketones in a methanolic solution of sodium cyanide in the presence of catalytic amounts of potassium iodide

M Okimoto, T Chiba

Index: Okimoto, Mitsuhiro; Chiba, Toshiro Journal of Organic Chemistry, 1993 , vol. 58, # 23 p. 6194 - 6197

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Citation Number: 11

Abstract

The indirect electrolytic oxidation of ketones (1) in methanolic sodium cyanide was studied using iodide ion as a mediator. The product and the reactivity of ketone were dependent on the nature of the alkyl groups attached to the carbonyl group. Thus, 2-alkyl and 2, 2-dialkyl ketones afforded the corresponding oxiranecarbonitriles 2 along with small amounts of methyl oxiranecarboximidate 3, whereas acetophenones exclusively yielded ...