Cyclohexyl hydroperoxide


Cyclohexyl hydroperoxide is an organic hydroperoxide that is typically used to assist in industrially producing cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone. These compounds are then usually turned into the polymer nylon 6. It has no color and is transparent when pure. It was first synthesized and prepared in 1930 by two German chemists, and has since been used for other modern industrial production.

Properties

In its pure form, the compound appears as a colorless and transparent liquid, with a distinct garlic smell. It is corrosive and irritation hazard. Although organic peroxides are generally unstable, cyclohexyl hydroperoxide only decomposes slowly.

Preparation and synthesis

The first known method of synthesizing the compound was published in 1930 by chemists Stoll and Scherrer, in which the authors detailed a method to produce 1-hydroxy-cyclohexyl-hydroperoxide-1, a related compound. This involved using peroxymonosulfuric acid to convert cyclic ketone into its corresponding lactone. They proceeded to use ozone and hydrogen peroxide and allowed it to oxidize for several days, then examined it again. They had discovered they had now produced the new oxygen-rich cyclanone peroxides they desired.