Microwave-assisted, solvent-free oxidative cleavage of α-hydroxyketones

The oxidative C–C cleavage of α-hydroxy ketones was found to proceed smoothly in solvent-free, silica-supported sodium metaperiodate, under microwave irradiation. This provides a useful and green synthetic procedure to form the corresponding carboxylic acid and aldehyde in good yields, avoiding the solubility problems of the sodium metaperiodate in organic solvents.