The green and effective Baeyer-Villiger oxidation reaction of cyclohexanone for preparing ε-caprolactone is of particular importance in the synthesis of new polymer materials. We have discussed here several mechanism types of Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of cyclohexanone with H2O2 in different reaction systems. Five main types have been addressed, i. e.: (1) the non-catalyzed reaction type, where the C=O of ketones is activated by H+, which is electrolytically dissociated from H2O2 and H2O, to improve the capability of C=O group for accepting the electron pairs; (2) the thermally activated radical reaction type, where the Criegee intermediate is produced via two steps of radical reaction with ·OH attack, with much more hydroxyl radicals being excited in the presence of TS-1 zeolite; (3) the Brnsted acid catalysis reaction type, where both O-O moiety and C=O group could be activated by Brnsted acid; (4) the solid Lewis acid catalyzed C=O of the substrate activation reaction type through enhancing the donor-acceptor interaction between the antibonding π*C=O orbital of cyclohexanone and HOMO of Sn-containing zeolites; and (5) the solid Lewis acid catalyzed H2O2 to form Me-OOH oxidative species by converting the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of Ti-OOH into a singly occupied molecular orbital (SOMO), making the O-O group highly electrophilic to attack the C=O of cyclohexanone during the Baeyer-Villiger oxidation process. In the end, we have also compared the different mechanisms and put forward our opinions on the development direction of catalytic materials aiming at eco-friendly Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of cyclohexanone in the years to come.
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