Editorial pubs.acs.org/OPRD
Oxidation and Oxidative Reactions
H
istorically, oxidation has been seen as a bit of a Cinderella activity. Moving up and down oxidation states was, and perhaps still is, seen as unproductive synthesis. In terms of oxidation, this was compounded by the fact that many reagents involve stoichiometric hazardous reagents with poor chemoselectivity, which would often require the use of protecting groups, thus further decreasing efficiency. Over the last 10 years or so, with advances in catalysis, both chemo and bio, this view is starting to change. Like many problems of this nature, there will not be a universal single solution. All of these advances, including advances in the development and spread of continuous processing, will gradually reduce hurdles in using oxidative transformations. The challenge for the practicing process chemist is to ensure that the views they held when they started their careers are still valid and that these views change as science and technology develop. In this Special Feature, we have pulled together a variety of papers from case histories to emerging areas of biotechnology. Looking forward, another 10 years or so, it is hard to predict where the major developments will emerge. My own personal wish is to see us being better able to harness nature’s ability to oxidize nonactivated C−H bonds, often with total enantioselectivity. Wherever this development comes from, it will certainly be a valuable addition to the chemist’s tool box. What we have to do is to recognize and apply the advancement when it does arrive. As has been mentioned many times in this journal, publication is a vital activity that underpins scientific progress. This is especially true in fields that are subject to sometimes damaging lore. The focus of OPR&D on the ability to run chemistry at scale is particularly pertinent to oxidation where safety and environmental concerns often dominate. Many thanks to all the authors that have contributed to this special edition. We look forward to future progress.
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David Lathbury,* Astute Chemical Development Consultancy Andy Wells,* Charnwood Technical Consulting Ltd AUTHOR INFORMATION
Corresponding Authors
*E-mail:
[email protected]. *E-mail:
[email protected]. Notes
Views expressed in this editorial are those of the authors and not necessarily the views of the ACS.
Special Issue: Oxidation and Oxidative Reactions Published: November 20, 2015 © 2015 American Chemical Society
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DOI: 10.1021/acs.oprd.5b00341 Org. Process Res. Dev. 2015, 19, 1536−1536
