ISSUE:

Good morning to all members:

First of all thank you in advance if someone can give me a hand with the following question.

I've been reading about it but I can't figure it out. When an oxidation (strong oxidant and probably heat) of a ketone occurs, cos carboxylic acids are obtained.

The doubt between which carbons the break occurs. For example: If we have 5-methyl-3hexanone under the action of a strong oxidant it produces acetic acid and 2-methylbutanoic acid.

The cleavage occurred between carbon 4 and 5 of the ketone, why can't it occur between carbons 3 and 4 of the ketone, giving propanoic acid and 2-methylpropanoic acid? THANK YOU FOR LENDING ME A HAND WITH THIS, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE POSSIBILITY OF PARTICIPATING IN FORUMS LIKE THIS!!

Regards, garden

I believe that the formation of the acid group is favored over the more substituted carbon, probably because the mechanism that occurs is very similar to that of the Baeller-Villiger oxidation.

It has helped me a lot to think that it could be a mechanism similar to that of Baeyer Villiger. Thank you very much for giving me a hand! all the best