Iodoxybenzoic Acid (IBX) in Organic Synthesis: A Septennial Review

Diols are compounds with two hydroxyl groups. In addition to syn dihydroxylation, diols can also be synthesized through the process of anti dihydroxylation. The process involves treating an alkene with a peroxycarboxylic acid to form an epoxide. Epoxides are highly strained three-membered rings with oxygen and two carbons occupying the corners of an equilateral triangle. This step is followed by ring-opening of the epoxide in the presence of an aqueous acid to give a trans diol.

There are various methods for the preparation of carboxylic acids. For example, oxidation of primary alcohols or aldehydes using strong oxidizing agents results in a carboxylic acid.  Aldehydes can also be oxidized in the presence of mild oxidizing agents.

Alkenes are converted to 1,2-diols or glycols through a process called dihydroxylation. It involves the addition of two hydroxyl groups across the double bond with two different stereochemical approaches, namely anti and syn. Dihydroxylation using osmium tetroxide progresses with syn stereochemistry.

Baeyer–Villiger oxidation converts aldehydes to carboxylic acids and ketones to esters. The reaction uses peroxy acids or peracids and is often catalyzed by acid. The reaction is named after its pioneers, Adolf von Baeyer and Victor Villiger. The reaction is achieved by a wide range of peracids such as m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid (mCPBA), perbenzoic acid (C6H5COOOH), peracetic acid (CH3COOOH), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BuOOH).
The carbonyl center is...

All ortho–para directors, excluding halogens, are activating groups. These groups donate electrons to the ring, making the ring carbons electron-rich. Consequently, the reactivity of the aromatic ring towards electrophilic substitution increases. For instance, the nitration of anisole is about 10,000 times faster than the nitration of benzene. The electron-donating effect of the methoxy group in anisole activates the ortho and para positions on the ring and stabilizes the corresponding...

Nitrous acid, a weak acid, is prepared in situ via the reaction of sodium nitrite with a strong acid under cold conditions. This nitrous acid prepared in situ reacts with primary arylamines to form arenediazonium salts. Such reactions are known as diazotization reactions. As shown in Figure 1, the formation of arenediazonium salts begins with the decomposition of nitrous acid in an acidic solution to give nitrosonium ions.