The Kharasch-Sosnovsky reaction was used to carry out the allylic oxidation of 1-Phenyl-1-cyclohexene and (+)-Valencene, producing their corresponding allylic benzoates (45%, 55%). Optimization of these reactions, in terms of yield, involved the Simplex method, a multivariate mathematical method. This method employed the variables of Cu(I)Cl as a copper source, tert-butyl peroxybenzoate (TBPB) as an oxidant, and DBU as an additive, which were all inexpensive. The copper source was optimized in a kinetic study employing cyclohexene as the alkene substrate. As a major point of interest, the method allowed for the reaction to be increased in efficiency with a considerably shorter reaction time of 24 hours.

Optimization of the allylic oxidation of 1-phenyl-1-cyclohexene and (+)-valencene using the <i>Simplex</i> method

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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Optimization of the allylic oxidation of 1-phenyl-1-cyclohexene and (+)-valencene using the Simplex method