Kinetic study of cycloolefin oxidation with a Pd(0) complex

A new chemical process is proposed for the oxidation of cyclic olefins, such as cyclooctene and cyclododecene, to cyclic ketones in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and a catalytic system based on tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(0) (Pd(PPh3)(4)). The kinetic equation of the cyclooctene oxidation can be expressed by r(olefin) = k[olefin]([catalyst] - k'[H+](1.7)). Note that the reaction rate increases linearly with catalyst and olefin concentration and depends on the H+ concentration. The catalyst retains its activity when bound to a polymer. This allows catalyst recycling and better control of the reaction medium. Unlike most common processes for cyclic ketone production, the proposed novel method occurs in a single step and does not require any cocatalyst.