A novel method for the synthesis of 1,4-diols from alkenes is presented. The reaction
is the basis of iron-catalyzed redox hydration of alkenes. The second hydroxyl group
is introduced by hydroxylation of an inert C–H bond. The mechanism includes a radical
1,5-hydrogen-transfer process of an intermediary alkoxy radical. In this paper, we
describe how this new method has been discovered and developed.
Key words
alkenes - hydroxylation - iron - oxygen - radicals