In a step toward more environmentally benign chemistry, researchers have designed
a new catalyst that reduces pollution from a commercially important, century-old
chemical reaction.
Chemists use the reaction, called the Baeyer-Villiger oxidation, to make classes
of molecules called esters and lactones. These, in turn, go into polymers,
pharmaceuticals, and fragrances.
In the new work, chemists found a way to substitute hydrogen peroxide for the
waste-producing acids now used in Baeyer-Villiger oxidation. In its current form,