Baeyer-Villiger reaction

A re­arrangement reaction, sometimes known as the Dakin reaction, com­monly used in organic synthesis in which a ketone reacts with a peroxy acid to form an ester. For example,

R-CO-R → R-CO-O-R

The reaction is equivalent to the in­sertion of an oxygen atom next to the ketone’s carbonyl (>C=O) group. Meta-chloroperbenzoic acid (m-CPBA; ClC₆H₄.CO.O.OH) and trifluoro­perethanoic acid (CF₃.CO.O.OH) are typical peroxy acids employed in the reaction. It was discovered by Adolf von Baeyer and the German chemist V. Villiger in 1899.