Organic Chemistry Portal
Chemicals >> Oxidizing Agents

Oxone, Potassium peroxomonosulfate

The composition of the oxidizing agent Oxone® is 2KHSO5.KHSO4.K2SO4. The active component potassium monopersulfate (KHSO5, potassium peroxomonosulfate) is a salt from the Caro´s acid H2SO5.

The use of Oxone has increased rapidly. Reasons for this are the stability, the simple handling, the non-toxic nature, the versatility of the reagent and the low costs.

B. R. Travis, M. Sivakumar, G. O. Hollist, B. Borhan, Org. Lett., 2003, 5, 1031-1034. DOI

As long as Oxone is stored under dry and cool conditions, it loses about 1% activity per month under release of oxygen and heat. Decomposition to SO2 and SO3 takes place under the influence of heat (starting at 300°C). 

Acidic, aqueous solutions of the pure reagent in distilled water are relatively stable. The stability reaches a minimum at pH 9, where the mono anion (HSO5-) has the same concentration as the dianion (SO52-). Iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, manganese and further transition metals can catalyze the decay of Oxone in solution.

The following secondary reactions should be avoided: Halides can be oxidized to halogens (e.g. chloride to chlorine), cyanides react with Oxone under release of hydrogen cyanide, "heavy" transition metals (Cu, Mn, Co, Ni) and their salts lead to the decomposition of Oxone under release of oxygen.


Recent Literature


Highly efficient, mild, and simple protocols allow the oxidation of aldehydes to carboxylic acids and esters utilizing Oxone as the sole oxidant. These reactions may prove to be valuable alternatives to traditional metal-mediated oxidations.
B. R. Travis, M. Sivakumar, G. O. Hollist, B. Borhan, Org. Lett., 2003, 5, 1031-1034.


B. R. Travis, M. Sivakumar, G. O. Hollist, B. Borhan, Org. Lett., 2003, 5, 1031-1034.


A novel, metal-free oxidation system for the catalytic synthesis of aldehydes and ketones using TEMPO and a quarternary ammonium salt as catalysts and Oxone as oxidant proved especially successful for the synthesis of ketones. The mild conditions tolerate even sensitive silyl protective groups which can otherwise be cleaved in the presence of Oxone.
C. Bolm, A. S. Magnus, J. P. Hildebrand, Org. Lett., 2000, 2, 1173-1175.


C. Bolm, A. S. Magnus, J. P. Hildebrand, Org. Lett., 2000, 2, 1173-1175.


Catalytic use of o-iodoxybenzoic acid (IBX) in the presence of Oxone as a co-oxidant is demonstrated for the oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols. In addition, the in situ oxidation of 2-iodosobenzoic acid (IBA) and even commercially available 2-iodobenzoic acid (2IBAcid) by Oxone to IBX allows the use of these less hazardous reagents, in place of potentially explosive IBX, as catalytic oxidants.
A. P. Thottumkara, M. S. Bowsher, T. K. Vinod, Org. Lett., 2005, 7, 2933-2936.


A. P. Thottumkara, M. S. Bowsher, T. K. Vinod, Org. Lett., 2005, 7, 2933-2936.


A highly chemo- and enantioselective epoxidation of conjugated cis-enynes using readily available glucose-derived ketones as catalysts and Oxone as oxidant forms cis-propargyl epoxides in high ee's.  The interaction between the alkyne substrate and the oxazolidinone moiety of the ketone catalyst are important for the stereodifferentiation.
C. P. Burke, Y. Shi, J. Org. Chem., 2007, 72, 4093-4097.


Specific oxidation protocols have been developed for the cleavage of styrenes, aliphatic olefins, and terminal aliphatic olefins to carbonyl compounds with ruthenium trichloride as catalyst. Olefins that are not fully substituted are converted to aldehydes rather than carboxylic acids.
D. Yang, C. Zhang, J. Org. Chem., 2001, 66, 4814-4818.


D. Yang, C. Zhang, J. Org. Chem., 2001, 66, 4814-4818.


The OsO4-catalyzed direct oxidation of olefins via the carbon-carbon cleavage of an osmate ester by the action of oxone allows the preparation of ketones or carboxylic acids in high yields. This method should be applicable as an alternative to ozonolysis.
B. R. Travis, R. S. Narayan, B. Borhan, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2002, 124, 3824-3825.


B. R. Travis, R. S. Narayan, B. Borhan, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2002, 124, 3824-3825.


A new mild RuO4-catalyzed ketohydroxylation of olefins is reported. α-Hydroxy ketones were obtained with high regioselectivity and in good to excellent yields.
B. Plietker, J. Org. Chem., 2003, 68, 7123-7125.


Grubbs' 2nd generation metathesis catalyst can be used in tandem olefin metathesis/oxidation protocols. These ruthenium-catalyzed processes provide access to cis-diols or α-hydroxy ketones from simple olefinic starting materials.
A. A. Scholte, M. H. An, M. L. Snapper, Org. Lett., 2006, 8, 4759-4762.


A mild and convenient oxidative Nef reaction using Oxone is described. Following this procedure primary and secondary nitroalkanes generates carboxylic acids and ketones, respectively, both in good yields.
P. Ceccherelli, M. Curini, M. C. Marcotullino, F. Epifano, O. Rosati, Synth. Commun., 1998, 28, 3057-3064.


A two-step sequence of asymmetric dihydroxylation and regioselective monooxidation gave enantiopure α-hydroxy ketones (acyloins). The combination of RuCl3/Oxone/NaHCO3 was used in the first catalytic regioselective oxidation of vic-diols to α-ketols.
B. Plietker, Org. Lett., 2004, 6, 289-291.


An efficient method for the oxidative cleavage of internal and terminal alkynes to carboxylic acids using a combination of RuO2/Oxone/NaHCO3 in a CH3CN/H2O/EtOAc solvent system is described. Various alkynes, regardless of their electron density, were oxidized to carboxylic acids in excellent yield.
D. Yang, F. Chen, Z.-M. Dong, D.-W. Zhang, J. Org. Chem., 2004, 69, 209-212.


Iodocyclization of unsaturated tosylamides promoted by Oxone oxidation of KI afforded, in good yields, N-tosyl iodopyrrolidines and piperidines.
M. C. Marcotullio, V. Campagna, S. Sternativo, F. Costantino, M. Curini, Synthesis, 2006, 2760-2766.


Addition of oxone to a mixture of a  1,2-phenylenediamine and an aldehyde in wet DMF results in rapid formation of benzimidazoles under very mild conditions. Products are isolated in high purity in most cases by simple aqueous precipitation. The reaction is applicable to a wide range of substrates but does not allow the conversion of aldehydes that are sensitive to oxone under acidic reaction conditions.
P. L. Beaulieu, B. Haché, E. von Moos, Synthesis, 2003, 1683-1692.


α-Bromo- or α-chloro-α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds were prepared in good yields by addition of hydrobromic acid or hydrochloric acid to α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds in the presence of Oxone in CH2Cl2 followed by treatment of the resulting dihalides with Et3N.
K.-M. Kim, I.-H. Park, Synthesis, 2004, 2641-2644.