[CHEKAL]

What catalyst should I use to oxidise toluene to benzoic acid? It needs to be a cobalt salt. Would a 10% molar quantity suffice?

[Guitarmaniac86]

Acidic KMnO₄ would be better.

[CHEKAL]

thanks for a quick reply but its got to be a cobalt salt as im investigating the costs of synthetic pathways and it mentions that particular route is synthesised with a cobalt salt catalyst

any ideas?

[Guitarmaniac86]

If its a catalyst then you would want a really low amount of the stuff. I have never used a cobalt salt but I have used other catalysts for synthesis and depending on the procedure its never been more than 10 mol% (0.1 equivalents) at most though some preps have higher mol%/ equivalents. If you are able to, start with 1% and see what yield you get, then try 5% and then try 10% mol equivalents. If you have access to reaxys or scifinder scholar try and find a prep that tells you how much to use. In my limited synthetic experience, I doubt you would need more than 10% or 0.1 equivalents though I may be wrong.