Abstract
Lactones have found wide applications as key molecules for the synthesis of important bioactive compounds, natural products and polymers; and represent a valuable family of synthons for various organic transformations. A series of lactones or esters are synthesized from their corresponding ketones employing Baeyer–Villiger (BV) oxidation at room temperature using mesoporous zirconium phosphate (m-ZrP) as a solid acid catalyst, molecular oxygen (O2)/benzaldehyde as an oxidizing agent, in a solvent free reaction medium. The oxidation reaction is studied in detail by varying the reaction parameters like molar ratio of the reactants, reaction temperature, time and catalyst loading. The m-ZrP showed high catalytic activity for the BV oxidation of cyclohexanone as well as other ketones in the presence of reduced amount of benzaldehyde with 100% selectivity for the corresponding lactones/esters. The protocol is suitable even for bulkier cyclic ketones like adamantanone. The m-ZrP catalyst showed excellent reusability.
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