Production of hydroxy carboxylic acids and derivatives thereof

Hydroxy carboxylic acids and their derivatives are prepared by contacting a peroxide precursor obtained by the oxidation of an alcohol of formula or a ketone of formula O = C(C-2R)n wherein n is an integer from 4 to 11, and each R is independently hydrogen, an alkyl, aralkyl, hetero-aromatic or carboxylic group, with a catalytic compound of chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, vanadium, selenium or tellurium. The compounds may be acid anhydrides, or heteropoly acids, an alkali metal, ammonia, or alkaline earth metal salt or acid salt thereof, e.g. selenic, telluric, chromic, molybdic, and tungstic acids, phosphotungstic, orsanotungstic, bismotungstic, molybdotungstic, selenotungstic and tellurotungstic acids, and the acetates and naphthenates of the metals. The peroxidic precursors may be dissolved in the corresponding alcohol or ketone, or other solvents such as t-butanol and a pH of from 4 to 8 is preferred. Examples describe the treatment of a cyclohexanol oxidate, cyclohexanone peroxide, and methylcyclohexanol and cyclopentanol oxidates to form mega-hydroxycaproic, 6-hydroxyheptanoic acid and omega-hydroxyvaleric acids. The products may be converted to lactones or to lactams, e.g. by heating under pressure with ammonia.