Mechanism of the selective formation of cyclohexanone in the decomposition of cyclohexyl hydroperoxide by chromium stearate

From a comparison of the rates of formation of cyclohexanone and 2-decanone in cyclohexane solutions of cyclohexyl hydroperoxide or tert-butyl-hydroperoxide in the presence of chromium(III) stearate and a mixture of cyclohexanol and 2-decanol in an atmosphere of argon at 350 K, it is concluded that the direct breakdown of cyclohexyl hydroperoxide by chromium stearate leads to selective formation of cyclohexanone. The contribution of the oxidation of cyclohexanol to ketone formation at a cyclohexanol concentration comparable with the hydroperoxide concentration (0.1 M) is 10%.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 2239–2242, October, 1991.