Study on synthesis of 2-hydroxy-3-pinanone from α-pinene.

The synthetic technology of 2-hydroxy-3-pinanone from α-pinene was studied. Affecting factors such as cosolvent were investigated. The optimum technology was obtained as follows:using tert-butyl alcohol as cosolvent,taking no measure to change pH value,reaction temperature 0 -5 ℃,ratio of n(KMnO4) ∶ n(α-pinene) 1.7 ∶ 1 -1.8 ∶ 1,addition of potassium permanganate after α-pinene. The structure of the product was characterized by IR,MS,1 H NMR and 13 C NMR. The yield of 2-hydroxy-3-pinanone was up to 60 %,as high as the literatures reported before. The recovery of tert-butyl alcohol was higher than 90 %,which was higher than that of acetone (70 %),the cosolvent used ever before.