Oxidative cleavage of 3-phenyllactic acid in presence of molybdenum complexes

Molybdenum(V) starting material, (PyH)5[MoVOCl4(H2O)]3Cl2, reacted in acetonitrile with 3-phenyllactic acid (2-hydroxy-3-phenylpropanoic acid) in the presence of tetraphenylphosphonium counterions to {(C6H5)4P}2[(MoVIO2Cl2)2(C2O4)] (C2O42− = oxalate anion). By the X-ray structure analysis of the product, the oxidation of the metal to + 6 oxidation state and the oxidative cleavage of 3-phenyllactic acid to oxalate ion were undoubtedly confirmed. Several other products of the transformation of the organic substrate were identified by 1H NMR spectroscopy: phenylacetic acid, benzaldehyde, phenylacetaldehyde and lactone, 3,4-diphenyl-2,5-dihydrofuran-2-one.