Oxidative Decarboxylation of Carboxylic Acids

The present state of studies on the decarboxylation of carboxylic acids by various oxidation systems is described and the dependence of the yield and composition of the reaction products on the structure of the carboxylic acid, the type of oxidant and its ligand environment, the nature of the solvent, and the reaction mechanism is considered. The intermediate involvement of radicals and ions, produced by successive one-electron transfer processes, in the formation of a wide variety of decarboxylation products is discussed. The bibliography includes 156 references.