ファインケミカルズ合成を指向した過酸化水素酸化技術の開発

Present health and daily life rely on synthetic materials such as pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, synthetic fibers, and plastics, which are mainly produced by multi-step chemical conversions of petroleum products. However, the current standards of chemical synthesis need to be much improved. Oxidation is a core technology for converting petroleum-based materials to useful chemicals in higher oxidation states. Aqueous hydrogen peroxide is an ideal oxidant, because the atom efficiency is excellent and water is the only theoretical side product. A catalytic system consisting of ternary catalyst (tungsten complex, phase transfer catalyst, and phosphonic acid) allowed epoxidation of various olefins using aqueous 30 % hydrogen peroxide without any organic solvent. Palladium catalysts were also very effective for oxidation of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes to the corresponding acids under mild conditions without organic solvent or halogen-containing chemicals. Additionally, kilogram-scale syntheses of super-fine chemicals using hydrogen peroxide in collaboration with commercial laboratories confirmed the individual targeted result for various products.