Hydrogen Peroxide → 2-(1-Hydroxycyclopentyl)acetic acid

This product is oxidized by the Baeyer-Villiger procedure. (1R)-Norbornanone (81, 18 mmol) is stirred with sodium acetate (9 g, water-free), hydrogen peroxide (27 ml, 30%), and acetic acid (9 ml) at 5° C. in the dark for 40 hours. The reaction is quenched by the addition of sodium sulfite (50 ml of a 10% aqueous solution) at 0° C. The product is extracted twice with EtOAc (600 ml). The extract is washed with the sodium sulfite solution, then with sodium bicarbonate solution (50 ml, saturated), then with sodium chloride solution (saturated), dried and evaporated. The product is chromatographed on silica (380 g, ether) to yield the lacton of 3 hydroxycyclopentane-1-acetic acid (82, 12 mmol, 67%).