Catalytic Oxidation of Ethylene Glycol by Dioxygen in Alkaline Medium. The New Example of One-stage Oxidative Cleavage of C–C Bond
Reaction of low temperature oxidations of ethylene glycol (EG) by molecular oxygen in the presence of salts of bivalent copper and alkali both in water and in waterless solutions was investigated. It was found that at low (close to room) temperatures and in waterless solutions the basic product of EG oxidation is formic acid. Rise in the temperature from 290–315 K to 350–360 K or reaction flow in water-containing solutions leads to sharp change of reaction direction. EG in these conditions is oxidized with primary formation of glycolic acids salts.