A Novel Oxidation of Internal Alkynes with Hydrogen Peroxide Catalyzed by Peroxotungstophosphates

Abstract Internal alkynes underwent a novel oxidation with aqueous hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by peroxotungstophosphates under two-phase conditions using chloroform as the solvent, affording α, β-epoxy ketones and α,β-unsaturated ketones as principal products. The epoxidation of α, β-unsaturated ketones by this catalyst oxidant system was considered to proceed by electrophilic attack of the peroxo species to the double bond.