Investigations into the selective oxidation of vicinal diols to α-hydroxy ketones with the NaBrO3/NaHSO3 reagent: pH dependence, stoichiometry, substrates and origin of selectivity

The NaBrO₃/NaHSO₃ reagent is one of the few oxidizing agents that chemoselectively oxidizes vicinal diols to α-hydroxy ketones with little overoxidation to the corresponding vicinal-dione or dicarboxylic acid. Oxidation reactions performed with this reagent showed strong pH dependence. cis-Vicinal diols reacted faster than trans-vicinal diols to the α-hydroxy ketone product. Hydroxy functional groups at axial ring positions were more readily oxidized than equatorial hydroxy groups. The application of the NaBrO₃/NaHSO₃ reagent for the chemoselective oxidation of vicinal diols was limited to simple systems and failed with more complex monosaccharide compounds probably due to acid catalyzed dehydrogenation reactions. Despite the simple reaction set-up and good selectivity towards the α-hydroxy ketone product, the actual oxidation reaction mechanism is highly complex and postulated to involve at least six different equilibria with a plethora of bromine containing species. A possible oxidation reaction mechanism is discussed.