[zsinger]

All,
About to perform a wacker oxidation, and I decided to use P-Benzoquinone instead of CuCl2 as my oxidant this time .  I have only performed this reaction once in the lab, as it is almost always scaled up.  I prefer the Formic Acid/H2O2 with 5M H2SO4 workup to get the desired ketone (stick with what you know!), but I wanted to practice this method, as oxygen is cheap, and P-Benzo is not all that expensive!  Thanks for any/all help.  The Rxn. hopefully should proceed as follows (balanced):   2 Ethylene, add PdCl2, Add p-benzoquinone-->2 CH3COH.
      -Zack

[Archer]

What are you attempting to oxidise? by the looks of your post you are attempting to make acetaldehyde from ethene.

[zsinger]

I am trying this on the terminal end of Eugenol to get the desired ketone.  I just posted the acetaldehyde expression to explain my additions, etc. Thanks
      -Z

[AlphaScent]

Eugenol huh.  Then what, safrole??

I am suspicious about this post.

[Archer]

I am trying this on the terminal end of Eugenol to get the desired ketone.  I just posted the acetaldehyde expression to explain my additions, etc. Thanks
      -Z

Wacker oxidation does not give the ring substituted 1-arylpropan-2-one with eugenol.

See http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040403901803026 for details.

[zsinger]

Anyways, ill figure it out I guess.

[zsinger]

Retracted statement.

[Archer]

Also, If you know of a way to go from Eugenol to Safrole without adding HI and disrupting that double bond, you would be a rich man (or woman).

I am not familiar with US law but certainly in many parts of the world if you succeeded in synthesising safrole by any route you would be committing a very serious offence.

Many roads lead to Rome, in this case fortune is not found there.

Probably something to avoid discussing on this forum.