Baeyer-Villiger oxidation under Payne epoxidation conditions

A novel method for the Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of ketones has been developed and optimized. The transformation involves a transition metal-free activation of hydrogen peroxide under Payne epoxidation conditions. Reaction of a ketone with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a nitrile under mildly basic reaction conditions leads to the corresponding ester. The transformation has been successfully applied to a range of ketones in moderate to excellent yields (30-91%) and good to excellent regioselectivities (7:1 to 20:1).