An efficient and economic procedure was developed for the dihydroxylation of various olefin derivatives with commercial KMnO4 as the oxidant in the presence of a quaternary ammonium salt. This practical procedure is suitable for large-scale production of cis-dihydroxy compounds, even those bearing primary and secondary alcohol groups, without overoxidation.
Keyword
dihydroxylation - diols - acrylates - alkenes - potassium permanganate - quaternary ammonium salts