A Two-Step Oxidative Cleavage of 1,2-Diol Fatty Esters into Acids or Nitriles by a Dehydrogenation-Oxidative Cleavage Sequence.

Dehydrogenative oxidation of vicinal alcohols catalyzed by a commercially 64 wt.% Ni/SiO catalyst leads to the formation of α-hydroxyketone. This first step was developed without additional solvent according to two protocols: "under vacuum" or "with an olefin scavenger".