tetrameric peroxypropanone

[methyllithium]

In the attached pdf excerpt*, Heng Jiang et. al. describes the catalysis of the peroxidation of propanone (acetone) with stannic chloride pentahydrate in 30% hydrogen peroxide at room temperature. This is in contrast to the usual method (oxidation via persulfuric acid generated in situ via reaction between sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide), where great care must be taken to control the temperature to prevent the formation of the dangerously labile dimeric form. My questions are as follows:

 

1. Do the peroxysulfuric or hydrochloric syntheses employed by amateur explosives enthusiasts produce the tetramer in any significant amount (as a percentage of total peroxypropanone molar yield), assuming proper temperature controls?

 

2. Does the stannic chloride pentahydrate method employed by Heng Jiang et. al. produce significant quantities of the trimer or dimer (as a percentage of total peroxypropanone molar yield)?

 

3. If the stannic chloride pentahydrate method employed by Heng Jiang et. al. produces significant trimeric and dimeric byproducts at room temperature, would running the reaction for a longer period at lower temperature reduce or eliminate these byproducts?

 

This is a theoretical excercise; I have no intention of synthesizing large quantities of labile organic peroxides.

 

*PDF excerpt: Tetrameric peroxyacetone.pdf

Edited May 12, 2011 by methyllithium