Chromium-catalyzed homolytic scission of organic peroxides with t-butyl hydroperoxide and its relation to benzylic oxidation

Abstract

In using 9-(t-butylperoxy)-fluorene as test substrate and various chromium compounds, it has been shown that the transformation to fluorenone requires the simultaneous presence of t-BuOOH to be efficient. This transformation is much less effective when using free t-BuO^. or t-BuOO^. radicals. A mechanism involving the homolytic scission of the peroxidic bond of the substrate is proposed.