Reactivity of metal-bound peroxides; alkali triperoxovanadate(V) trihydrates, A[V(O<SUB>2</SUB>)<SUB>3</SUB>].3H<SUB>2</SUB>O (A = Na or K), as oxidants resembling alkali-H<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>2</SUB> reagent for some organic substrates

The efficacy of the triperoxovanadium(V) complexes, A[V(O2)3].3H2O (A = Na or K), as potential oxidants with respect to certain organic substrates has been investigated. Aqueous solutions of the complexes are basic (pH ca. 11) in nature. The complexes efficiently oxidise an &#945;,&#946;-unsaturated ketone to the corresponding epoxide and benzonitrile to benzamide. Such reactions are usually accomplished using alkaline-H2O2 reagent. The complexes are also capable of bringing about Bayer-Villiger-type oxidation and oxidise benzil to benzoic acid. The peroxo-depleted vanadium product, isolated after the oxidations, has been identified as a diperoxovanadate(V) complex, [VO(O2)2(H2O)]-