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Updated: May 26, 2026

Retropinacol/Cross-pinacol Coupling Reactions - A Catalytic Access to 1,2-Unsymmetrical Diols
Published on: April 4, 2014
Revisiting the reaction of hydroxyl radicals with vicinal diols in water
Dong Jiang1, Sebastián Barata-Vallejo, Bernard T Golding
1School of Chemistry, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
Abstract:
The carbonyl products of the reactions of hydroxyl radicals with three vicinal diols (ethane-1,2-diol, propane-1,2-diol and butane-2,3-diol) have been identified and quantified. Hydroxyl radicals were produced by γ-radiolysis of N(2)O-saturated aqueous solutions. The reactions result in the formation of alkoxyl radicals (~15%) followed by β-fragmentation, and α-hydroxyl alkyl radicals that undergo H(2)O elimination. The latter process is part of a radical chain reaction at higher diol concentrations.
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