Efficient Oxidative Cleavage of 1,3‐Dicarbonyl Derivatives with Hydrogen Peroxide Catalyzed by Quaternary Ammonium Iodide

Quaternary ammonium iodide, a metal‐free and mild catalyst, was proven to be a successful catalyst in the oxidative cleavage of 1,3‐dicarbonyl derivatives with H 2 O 2 as terminal oxidant. The mechanistic aspects of these “multistep” catalytic oxidations were discussed in terms of the catalytic cycle of the iodine species and the oxidative cleavage of the α carbon from the dicarbonyl compounds to generate the corresponding carboxylic acids.