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Efficient and Selective Oxidative Decarboxylation of Arylcarboxylic Acids into the Corresponding Aldehydes and Ketones Using K₅Co^IIIW₁₂O₄₀ as a Green Oxidant under Microwave and Conventional Heating

S. Farhadi* and N. Ansari

Department of Chemistry, Lorestan University, Khoramabad 68135-465, Iran

      The oxidative decarboxylation of various α-aryl- and α,α-arylcarboxylic acids having electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups by using a stoichiometric amount of  potassium 12-tungstocobaltate(III), K₅Co^IIIW₁₂O₄₀, in 50% aqueous acetonitrile solution resulted in the corresponding aldehydes and ketones in high yields within short reaction times under microwave irradiation. This transformation was also carried out under the conventional heating conditions which produced the corresponding aldehydes and ketones in relatively longer reaction times. The arylacetic acids with electron-withdrawing substituents required longer reaction times and produced lower yields. In contrast to arylacetic esters which were inert toward decarboxylation, the sodium arylacetates were decarboxylated in shorter times with yields better than those of the parent acids.

Keywords: Microwave irradiation, Arylcarboxylic acids, Carbonyl compounds, 12-Tungstocobaltate(III), Oxidative decarboxylation